My Weekend in Chicago

What a grand time!!!

And we didn't even make it into the windy city itself, but the time was awesome.

I have pics, still on my camera so those will have to wait. :)

I flew through Tampa on my way back up to Chicago... how weird is that. But the cool part is that as I was waiting for the flight a friend of ours came up to me and said he and his son were on the same flight. So we sat together and caught up. What are the odds??!! :)

I arrived in time to meet up with Audrey, we got our rental and braved the streets of Chicago. Not too bad, but there's some crazy driving that happens there... I almost felt like I was back in Ethiopia...lol

We made it to our hotel and met up with Carolyn and Traci. So great to finally be able to hug Carolyn and meet her face to face. Just as cute and awesome in person as she looks. ;)

We headed out to dinner and had a wonderful time eating good food, drinking yummy wine, and sharing our passion for the orphan, specifically those with hiv, and special needs. The cool thing is that Traci and Audrey have both adopted from Ukraine, and their perspective was really cool to see. We sat there, 4 mothers of hiv+ kids and shared our hearts together. It was truly amazing.

Saturday we headed out to the University of Chicago Hospital for the hiv+ seminar. It's for parents that are thinking of adopting an hiv+ child or children and would like more information. They have partnered with Project HOPEFUL to put together a great informational program.

There were PID docs, and an RN plus several of us adoptive parents that have btdt. We all shared our time and information. There were about 30 people there. That's so awesome!!

It's a great model. One cool thing is that the head of PID in Chicago knows our PID guys and said he would love to speak to them and help me get that program here in VA. We will be setting something like it up here in the coming months. Which is totally exciting. We are also talking about taking it to Duke and possibly the DC area to share there as well. He's got great contacts in both places. SO SO exciting!!

We are working on getting a blog together for the regional directors, and all the other fun things that go along with growing this ministry/program.

Audrey and I stayed up too late talkng both nights. It's just so grand having someone around with the same passions and love for adoption and hiv+ kids.

Sunday we went to church with the whole Twietmeyer clan... what a gift! We then ate lunch at a sports bar during a Chicago Bears game...lol It was hard to get business done with all the shouting and fun around us, but coming from a city that doesn't have a 'team' it was great fun to watch and be a part of...even if I am not a fan...lol shhhh

Then it was time to head home. :( It was sad to leave my new amazing friends, but I know we will be seeing each other again soon and God has some amazing exciting things planned!!!

On the smoulder front... it's a no go. You probably guessed that it was adoption related. D was actually praying about and open to a situation that I brought before him.... even S was! But it's not meant to be. I am so sad...I am not sure which I am more sad about...the fact that we can't follow through, or the why. Both suck monkey toes!!! But God has a plan for us all and I am working on trusting Him with all my heart. The interesting thing is that I think this situation may have opened the hearts of both D and S to be willing to move forward. So please pray that the right situation comes forth and God ordains it as His will and not ours.

Working feverishly on the Yard Sale for our mission team this weekend... please pray God's favor over it. :)

Have a wonderful and blessed Tuesday!

Weekend happenings...

gosh, it's been a busy week again, no time to blog.

Today I am leaving on a jet plane (I just can't type that and not sing the song...lol) I am headed out to Chicago to meet with my friend Carolyn and Audrey to talk about kids. Orphans to be exact, hiv+ orphans, and how amazing they are and that adopting them is possible, and a HUGE blessing.

Audrey and I will be volunteering with Project HOPEFUL to help educate parents, and family members about these kids and about hiv.... I think...LOL I am headed to Chicago to find out more.

I am so so excited! It will be refreshing to be around so many people that are passionate about this and that are passionate about these kids.

The kids have a busy weekend planned with dad. They will be headed out to play on Saturday, then to a fun church event on Saturday night. Then there is a huge air show here this weekend and they will be going there on Sunday. The Blue Angels fly in this air show... man are they amazing!!! The last air show we went to here ended really badly, it was right after E had come home and N had a major meltdown in the middle of a plane tour. We ended up having to carry him the mile back to the car kicking and screaming at the top of his lungs. phew... THANK YOU GOD that we have come a long long way from that situation!

The boys are so excited about going. They can hardly stand it! :)

The mission team is gearing up for another yard sale next weekend. So next week will be another crazy one. I am getting phone calls daily to come pick up something or to schedule getting things to the church. Crazy stuff I tell ya!! But so exciting. Please pray with us that all goes well and God blesses it! :) There is a huge festival down at the ocean front that day and we are hoping to get alot of business that way since we are right there in the middle of all the action. :)

Still have the situation that is smouldering in the background... please pray with us that God's will be done, and that He shows us exactly what His plan is.

Have a great weekend ya'll!!

When Momma Ain't Happy...

ain't nobody happy.

I know you have heard that phrase before, perhaps even said it yourself. Possibly even felt that way. :) Perhaps you have the magnet on your fridge?

It's something I have come to realize has a certain ring of truth to it. Unfortunately I have also found that I do have more of an impact on the mood of my home that I had realized before.

Over the last 7 weeks I have made some changes in my life. For the better, and I am beginning to see the changes that are happening in my home because of it.

I have been getting up every week day morning at 5am for 7 weeks, going to the gym and working out for an hour at a time. I can feel my strength increasing, my stress decreasing and my mood lifting. I can feel myself the change in me. I use that hour to listen to praise music and pray. I love that time alone with my headphones and God. :) The scale isn't really cooperating as well as I would like. I have lost 5lbs in those 7 weeks, but I hear slow and steady is the best. :)

I have chosen to take my issues to God first. To then follow the path He would have me walk.

I confronted the person at church that has been so contrary, asked for a mediator in the meeting and actually went through with it. I HATE confrontation. I don't like it when people don't like me, I don't like it when people see the side of me that isn't the one that the world usually sees. I normally would just fester and rot over it, or quit the ministry that I have to be in with this person. But that's not what would serve the committee or the church in the best way. I needed to suck it up and confront, and try to move past the hurt and pain caused by the past several months of ugliness.

I have also taken a volunteer position that I am SO excited about!!!! I will be the Virginia Regional Representative for Project HOPEFUL! I am so excited to work with them, and to be able to see the fruit of this amazing ministry. I am going to Chicago for the weekend to learn about the programs they are doing to educate people about hiv adoption. I also hope to learn more about the Almost Homes project happening in Ethiopia.

What I have found in this process of exercising, confronting, and committing is that I am a happier person. I find the joy more often, I see the humor, I find the grace in the moment.

This has effected my household. The boys are happier. They are more content. They seem more able to regulate. They completed their first week at school with success, pride and happiness. N had a great week. He's been better at controlling himself, and regulating his behaviors. E, who was excited but apprehensive, had an amazing week. He wasn't happy that he wouldn't be going back to school on Saturday. :) Just this morning the Sunday School director told me about an incident that N was involved in where he chose to remove himself from what could have become ugly. The other child antagonizing him... she kind of joked that she expected N to push the kid over, because he frankly deserved it, but N was so good about it. AND she recognized it in him, and TO him. That's huge. ;)

The relationship I have with my hotty hubby is better. We have had more relaxed times, and happiness. When those regular flare-up moments happen we are more easily past them.

Choosing to care for myself and focus on God has brought me to a place of more peace.

ssssshhhhhh He's also working something that could be HUGE and smokey as well... if you so choose, some prayer would be great. ;) Only His Will to be done.

Gotta go to bed, that gym time sure comes early. ;)

Choices

Blue Shirt or Red one?

Chocolate Ice cream or Vanilla?

SUV or Sports car?

Parent or not to parent?

Special needs or 'healthy'?

Why to we choose what we choose?

Are we wrong if we choose one way or another?

If a woman chooses not to be a mother is she wrong? If a parent chooses not to adopt a child are they wrong? If parent's choose to only accept the referral of a healthy baby are they somehow wrong? What if a parent chooses to adopt a child with severe special needs, are they some how crazy?

What is right for me isn't right for you. What I choose doesn't have to be what you choose. And what you would choose or wouldn't, doesn't have to be my choice.

We chose to have bio children many years ago. Adoption wasn't on the radar. I am not a person that can say that I have always wanted to adopt. I didn't. I didn't even really ever think about it.

Then God came along and changed those plans. (THANK YOU GOD!)

In the beginning we chose a toddler, but wanted healthy. We were scared to take on any more than that. Again, God chose to change our hearts.

He led us to adopt a child with hiv. (THANK YOU GOD) With this adoption have come MANY new and wonderful opened doors, relationships and even a couple of hard days.

With education and exposure to so many other opportunities I see that we could and can be open to so many more options than we originally thought possible.

Would we have chosen some of the paths we have walked? No. Not necessarily. Would I change them? NO! A resounding NO.

Are any of my children perfect? Nope... am I... um NOPE!

I choose God. I choose His plan. I choose His way. If it meant a healthy infant, or one with no 'chance at normal life' or a 14 yr old or another toddler ...it's His choice. He loves each child equally. He loves each of us equally.

ETA: I would like to state for the record that I TOTALLY don't think deciding on parenting issues is even remotely as easy as choosing an ice cream flavor! :)

Perfect End of Summer day!

It's been the most beautiful weekend! The weather has been cool enough to have the windows open and the house fan on. It's sunny and gorgeous. Praising God that Earl chose to step away from the coast so no one got hurt. :)

We took the boys to the beach on Saturday. It was the perfect day and we all had fun.

Nothin' like peanut butter and jelly next to the ocean.

Some random guy surfing...the waves were really pretty cool.


My little sun God. :)
Puffy Cha Ching Cherry Pink Toes....
Trying to dig a hole, the water kept rushin up....
Then this little guy decided that he wanted in on the action. Oh my goodness he was THE cutest little dude. He would get D to put water in his bucket and then he would just dump it. He had D eating from his hand. :) D then turns to me and says "Makes you want another one doesn't it?" I just gave him my "DUH" look....seriously... did he have to ask me that...lol Perhaps the bush is beginning to smoulder?
It was truly a yummy day... beautiful weather, beautiful family, amazing God... what more could you want...except perhaps another little one...:)

Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman

I just finished reading the book Choosing to SEE by Mary Beth Chapman

Man... what a book!

I loved it from the beginning. I love how real Mary Beth is. She describes herself as the complete opposite of Steven. He's a glass-half-full kind of guy and she's a glass half empty gal.

She tells a bit about how they met, and how SCC got started in his career.

She shared about her bio children, and her battle with depression, and the steps that led them to adoption. If you have heard the story at all you will remember that Emily, their first daughter went on a mission trip with Mary Beth to Haiti. That trip broke little Emily's heart for the orphan and she began a campaign to get her parents to adopt a child. (Much like when Z our oldest told us we should adopt...funny how kids get that seed planted)

Steven was all for it, Mary Beth, not so much. They prayed and then God told them to move forward.

I loved reading about Mary Beth's honesty in wondering if she would ever love a child that wasn't her's biologically, how she would be able to handle the stress that comes with adding a child to the family, more so an adopted one.

Then the miracle that was Shaohannah's gotcha day and what it did to her heart. How it healed her in many places and how God showed her what it meant to be His child.

She then shares the stories of Stevey Joy's adoption (Steven wasn't convinced that they should adopt again...he was looking for his...wait for it... yep you guessed it a Burning Bush I totally had to read that part to D!!), she told of Sweet Maria's adoption story, and how Show Hope began.

Of course she shares the tragic events of the day Maria went on to be with Jesus, and the pain the family is continuing to live through as a result. It's also about healing and the way God is showing them about His love, His Grace and His Strength.

One of the things that struck me is the grief that Mary Beth feels...the whole family feels... at the loss of Maria. Maria wasn't just an adopted child. She was THEIR child. She was loved as much as any of their other children. She was all black hair, little brown eyes, sticky fingers and she lived her life BIG. She was their child. The grieving done over her loss isn't any less than that of a child Mary Beth could have carried in her own womb.

I think many people still worry about whether they can love a child not 'theirs', whether it can be the same. It can...it IS.

This book is about the struggles of real people, with extraordinary faith, that doesn't always feel all that extraordinary.

Get it! I know you will feel a little closer to God when you finish.

Earl

So, if you have ever lived on the East Coast you would know what it means to 'get prepared' for a hurricane.

Crazy stuff really...lol Around here people get crazy. They start heading to BJ's, Costco and Walmart to stock up on supplies. They buy water and canned goods, batteries and blankets.

This all when the silly storm is still churning off the coast of Africa and not even projected to come our way.

Then, it gets closer. Closer. We have are shown hourly what the projected path 'might' be. Seriously no offense if any of you are weather forecasters...but oh to have a job where everything is subject to change...and does.

We just remembered the 5th anniversary of Katrina this past weekend in New Orleans. They are STILL trying to dig out. What happened there, could happen here, except the whole levy thing. We get the 'scare' every time...and then nothing happens.

So, Earl, may be visiting.
He may come Thursday night.
We may get flooding.
We may get high winds.
We are currently under a state of emergency.

Who knows?
God. :)