Christmas

We enjoyed celebrating Christmas today at our house, exchanging gifts, reading the Christmas story, and eating cinnamon rolls. It was chaotic and messy, to be sure. We are feeling particularly blessed today. Emmanuel, God with us, has shown Himself to us so clearly this year.

Home

We've been home for several days, and we're settling in to being a family of nine. Our airport moments were so sweet. Aunt Heather captured them with her camera. My heart was beating so fast and I was jumping out of my skin to make my way down the escalator faster into the arms of these kids. There will be more photos to follow soon. We are so grateful and glad to be home.

Home for Christmas!

Home for Christmas....three words I have not been able to muster without tears for several weeks. Will we be home for Christmas? The teary voices of our five on the phone line spanning the thousands of miles told me I would not be the only heartbroken one if we didn't make it. Through MANY amazing mountain moving events of God, we will be headed home tonight!!! We will go to the Embassy to pick up visas very soon and then head to the airport. We are praising God for His undeserved favor, His provision for our family, and for all of those who lifted us up in prayer. He indeed is mighty to save!

Merry Christmas!

Introducing...

Zai Hannah

Edi Caleb

The two newest members of the Spore family, making us the Spore Nine!

The Two New Spores

I know, the title makes you think there will be photos. I wish it were so, but blogger just won't upload photos here. Maybe tonight when we travel to Jinja, I'll be able to get a couple posted. Feel free to friend me on FB to see some photos. Just let me know you read this on my blog.

Anyway, the real story here is that we passed court yesterday! We belong to Edi Caleb and Zai Hannah! And at the moment the judge said our petition had been granted, the last remnant of the wall around my heart collapsed. These are our precious children whose futures are now forever tied to ours!

Now we have one huge hurdle left before we can hop on a plane to come home. We will turn everything in at the embassy Monday morning, hopefully be granted an interview Wednesday, and maybe be able to come home Friday. We have three tickets and a lap ticket reserved for arrival in Cedar Rapids at 7:20 pm Christmas Eve! Please keep praying for us and this process, for our kids at home, and for Edi Caleb and Zai Hannah in this huge adjustment. Hoping to post pictures with the next post!

Missing the Birthday Girl

I'm pretty sure we've never been away from one of our kids on their birthday. Two years ago we very nearly missed Carlie's birthday, but we got home with Cooper two days before. So today, as Carlie celebrates her 8th birthday without us, I'm feeling sad. This being away from the five to bring home the two is so very hard. I'm feeling the ache of empty arms.

I'm a mommy without her birthday girl, but when I think of it I realize there are a lot of birthday girls without their mommies today. Today I'll choose to embrace 25 little girls who long for a mommy....and then my arms maybe won't ache so badly.

Carlie, I can't wait to have you in my lap reading a Christmas story together. Happy birthday, sweet girl.

Worship - Uganda Style

Today we got the oppotunity to worship with fellow believers in Uganda at the church at GSF. All of the kids, aunties, staff, and people from surrounding villages came to worhsip together. In additon there were people from at least 4 different countries.

Heidi and I enjoyed singing, clapping, and even dancing to songs in both English and Luganda. Sometime is was difficult to know which language we were singing. Gene, who is part of the other couple adopting from GSF with us, spoke. It was fun to experience a different style of worship than we typically experience back home in Iowa. Probably the highlight was having Caleb in our arms during the whole service with other GSF kids on either side of us.

Heidi and I also got the chance to experience dinner and bed at the baby house. It included eating, crying, pottying, singing, dressing in PJ's, g-nuts, playing, and finally bed. We were amazed at how the Aunties do that routine each night for 8 toddlers. I guess we will have 7 kids in our family bedtime routine. Thankfully only 3 of them will be that age.

Tomorrow we head back to Kampala for physicals and TB test readings. It should be easier than Friday since it will not include any shots. Convincing the kids of that might be difficult though.

IOM and Embassy

Another trip to the city, another big day, another tired mama. TB tests were given, children were very unhappy about it, and the tests will be read Monday. We stopped by the embassy to check on what we will need for our appointment and found out we will need to have family members present for the visa interview. This could really be difficult, so we will once again ask you all to pray and we are already praising Him for how he will move these mountains.

Tomorrow is Saturday, and I am thankful there will be no trip to the city. Chad stayed here at the orphanage today, and he forged friendships with many kids....particularly two boys named Brian and Henry who very much enjoy Chad's Star Wars characters voices. I'm certain there's no way I'll be able to match his popularity, but I'll have more time tomorrow to spend with kids.

We are still really uncertain about our return trip. It seems as if there is still a slight possibility we could travel home with the kids and arrive Christmas Eve. Claudia has agreed to travel to the US with one of us and the kids if the other one of us needs to come home earlier. My feelings are all over the board on this, with fragments of my heart in Iowa and other fragments in Uganda. The protective walls I constructed around my heart are crumbling with each day spent with Caleb and Hannah. Leaving them here will be difficult, and leaving Chad would be even harder.

We are going to eat some supper soon, and then we will have dessert and a movie with the Gwartney family. I'm looking forward to that and a good night's rest.

A Big Day

Today was the day we’ve been waiting and praying for a long time. There was a beautiful fog in the valley this morning as we waited for the kids to be brought to us at the guest house. It’s hard to describe the emotions we felt as their forms became clear through the fog. The auntie was carrying Hannah, and little Caleb was toddling behind. It felt like the first day of the rest of our lives!
We changed the kids into the special clothes we had chosen for this occasion, and then we took off in the van for the two hour journey to the city. We had great and high hopes for a flawless court appearance and quick ruling. The judge heard our case and has asked for more evidence of their story, but he also said he would have our ruling available on Friday, December 16. That is really quick for a wait for the ruling, so we are thanking God.
The rest of the day was spent getting the kids ready for their medical exams and visa processing to come. We were all exhausted when we arrived back at the guest house. Even now, I’m falling asleep at the keyboard.
So, I ask you to please pray for clarity for Chad and me about whether or not to expend our stay to try to finish things up. We miss our five kids at home so much! Also please keep praying for a Christmas miracle for the kids to be able to come home with us before Christmas.
I’ll try to post some pictures of our adventures (including eating a fried grasshopper) later. And now I need sleep….

Court Tomorrow

Thank you for praying for us while we are here in Uganda. Heidi and I would like to specifically ask you to pray for us tomorrow as we go to court in Kampala. We are scheduled to be there at 10:30 AM (1:30 AM CST). We ask that you pray for the following:
- Sleep tonight for Heidi, me, Caleb, and Hannah (and another family that is here adopting)
- The car ride to and from Kampala (2-2.5 hrs each way) with our kids
- Everyone who needs to be at court would show up
- The judge would provide a favorable ruling to both us and the other family with us.
- The judge would issue his ruling on the same day (rarely ever happens but we will need it in order to have an chance or bringing Caleb and Hannah home with us in 2 weeks
- God would be glorified through this whole process

As for an update, we got to spend some time today with Caleb and Hannah at their baby house. We were able to hold them, read books, play games, take them on a walk (with the rest of the kids in the house) and I even got pottied on by Hannah. We also met a ton of kids, helpers, and one of the missionary families. There are names of kids swirling around in our heads and we are trying our best to keep them all straight.
Thank you again for your prayers and we hope to have good news to share with you tomorrow.

We Have Arrived

After 4 flights, 18 hrs of airtime, an 8 hr time change, and a 2 1/2 hr car ride we safely made it to Good Shepard's Fold (GSF) near Jinja, Uganda. All our flights were on time, our baggage made it safely through to Entebbe airport, and the 4 blocks of cheese we packed stayed cold.

However the highlight of our trip was arriving at GSF around 7 PM and having Caleb and Hannah placed onto our laps as we pulled up while the other kids greated us with song and welcomes. We got to spend about an hour with Caleb and Hannah and we have fell instantly in love with them. (pictures to come in the coming days)

After taking them back to their house for bedtime, we enjoyed some dinner with another couple that is also adopting from GSF, one of their set of parents, and Claudia. After much awaited showers, we are now settling in under our mosquitoe nets and listening to strange new animal calls outside as we quickly fell asleep.

Thank you for all who have prayed for our safe arrival.

Uganda Bound

I've decided to be kind of hush hush about our upcoming addition of two little ones to our family. Mostly out of respect for the process, but also because I've been guarding my heart. And while the guarding of my heart absolutely must continue until legal guardianship of Caleb and Hannah has been granted, I'm preparing to give a couple pieces of it away. Chad and I will be leaving Sunday (yes, Sunday...I know, right?!) to begin the process of bringing them home. Leaving the five to bring home the two. Kinda feels like we're living the parable of the lost sheep.

We're going to be gone a couple weeks and will most likely have to return to Uganda to finalize in January. I'll be documenting our travels here. If you are reading this, I would ask you to please pray for our family. It humbles me to think anyone actually reads this, BTW. But to know people are lifting our names up to the Father would be the most humbling, wonderful knowledge of all. He started this work in us, and we are confident He will be faithful to complete it.

Thankful

Piles of laundry, half unpacked suitcases, a boy home sick from school with the stomach bug that won't quit, dirty dishes, Christmas tree lights twinkling right next to fall decor that still needs to be put away....the aftermath of a wonderful weekend of celebrating Thanksgiving with our family.

Since meeting Cooper on November 28, 2009, my heart swells with thanksgiving in a way I never thought possible. This orphan no more has stolen our hearts.

Watching a solemn baby boy with no one and nothing to call his own morph into a happy, boisterous three year old has been one of the greatest joys of our lives. When God put Cooper in our family, He blessed us far more than we could ever bless this little boy. It has been humbling to be a part of God's plan for Coop's life.

Maybe looking forward to the next couple months has made thinking back on this Metcha Day a little sweeter. Because, Lord willing, these two sweeties will be a part of the Spore family in the very near future!

The First Time Ever

Two years ago today was the first time we laid eyes on this boy. The pink jumpsuit bamboozled the eye as we gazed at his picture over and over again. "The letter did say 'boy', right?" Chad asked me. "Yes, I'm just sure he's a boy," we both said over and over again. We memorized each feature, printed 25 copies to share with friends and family, and showed random strangers who displayed even the slightest interest in our adoption.

And two years later (how can it possibly have been two years already?), we absolutely can. not. imagine our lives without him. Coop, you are smart and handsome, curious and funny. We love you with all our hearts. As we welcome a new little brother and sister into this mix called the Spore family, we want you to know that you will always belong with us and to us. And we are so grateful we get to be yours.

Halloween 2011

This year was the first year we had a kiddo declare herself too old to trick-or-treat. She had her two bffs over to watch Tim Hawkins DVDs, put on make up, and hand out candy. I think a good time was had by all.

As for Chad the Builder, Larry Boy (who seems so sad in this picture but later came out of his funk), Boba Fett, the Dragon, and the Leopard, they made quite a haul of candy. We all had a fun evening with friends.

First Day of School

So much has happened in our family since my last post! I've missed several birthdays, our 15th wedding anniversary, Chad's kidney stone drama, a major storm in our little town that caused lots of damage, all the work we've done on finishing our basement.....the list goes on and on!

I have been hesitant to share some adoption news because of its sensitive and unpredictable nature. What I can share right now is that, Lord willing, we will be adding a three year old boy and one year old girl to our family in January. We are so excited to meet them and learn how to love them. If you'd like to pray for us in this process, please pray for favor for our family with the judge to whom we will be assigned. You can also pray for our little guy as he is really scared of the dark and of being alone at night. We're so excited that he will have two brothers in his room with him at night when we get him home. (And, if that's not enough, we're getting pretty used to having a makeshift bed on the floor next to our bed for whichever kiddo is having nighttime issues.)

Ok, on to the title of this post. We sent four little ambassadors off to school today: a seventh grader, a fifth grader, and second grader, and a kindergartener. We really didn't anticipate sending our five year old this year, but class sizes were really small and he is ready. So, Cooper and I will navigate the homefront battles on our own for a few months. He seemed pretty lost without his playmate today, but I was able to spend some special alone time with him.

Happy Birthday, Hallie!

As Chad and I were talking through our day this morning, we couldn't help but remember what we were feeling twelve years ago on this day. It was a Wednesday, and I was very pregnant with our first baby (due the day before, in fact). I had resigned myself to being pregnant for at least another week. Chad had just returned home from his third day of working for John Deere in the Quad Cities. I had the table set, potatoes in the oven, and hamburgers on the grill. As I was flipping the burgers, I felt the now familiar, then terrifying, drip of amniotic fluid down my legs. That was the beginning of the excitement, and it hasn't stopped since.

Hallie was born the next morning, just before lunch. She has been a joy since that day. Compassionate, verbal, and artsy are a few words I would use to describe her.

Happy 12th birthday (tomorrow), Hallie! We love you!

Times, They Are A Changin'

This post has been a few months in the making. We wanted to share but just wanted to be sure. Sure of what God is calling our family to next.

It seems we've seen the ultrasound, heard the heartbeats, and we're ready to share a small piece of what God's been up to. The Spore Seven is on its way to becoming.....The Spore Nine.

We can't share much right now except that we have accepted the referral of two little treasures in East Africa. Our little guy is one month older than Cooper (think 2 and 1/2 year old twins!) and our little girl just turned one.

We are not deluding ourselves. This is a life changer. Our ministry opportunities will largely be to our seven (yes, you read that right...seven) children. There will be days when I will need to be reminded of what God has shown us. He has shown us the relationship between parent and child has the most profound influence in a person's life. How blessed are we that we get to invest in the lives of seven people in this way?! To God be the glory for all He has done and will continue to do in our family!

One last thing. Could you pray for a court date still this summer so we can bring home these two precious ones before January?

Cooper's Citizenship Ceremony

Sunday was a really special day for our family. We attended a citizenship ceremony for 92 Iowa children. They came from all corners of Iowa, and before that they came from all corners of the world. All the rights and responsibilites of a United States citizen were bestowed on these kids, many of whom will never remember this day. Governor Brandstad and former Governor Ray shook each child's hand. Cooper even gave Gov. Brandstad a high five!

We're thankful to have finally received Cooper's certificate of citizenship. We now have to apply for a passport and social security number, and then I think we will finally be done!

Christmas 2011

Christmas was such a fun time shared with both sets of grandparents and siblings! It always goes much too quickly. I couldn't let the season totally slip by without including some of my favorite pictures. The first two are tradition at our house. The kids pose at the top of the stairs before coming downstairs to look for the baby Jesus figure. The second picture shows the kids after they've found him. It's been a fun way to remember that Jesus is the reason we celebrate. After he is found, we place him in the manger scene and read Luke 2.

Picture three is the extended Spore family. We had a wonderful time in their cozy home in the woods while the snow fell outside like a snowglobe.

Picture four is almost all the cousins on the Bradfield side eating at the kid table. Kayley is sporting a whipped cream mustache.

Happy Birthday, C Girl! (a month ago)

Am I the only mom to make promises I know I can't keep? Seven years and one month ago, I held our beautiful new baby girl in my arms. I promised her and myself she would always have special birthdays, even though it was less than two weeks before Christmas.....that her birthday would be no less of an event than her siblings' summer birthdays. Most years I have failed miserably to keep this promise. Despite that, this sweet girl always shows sincere gratitude for whatever store bought cake and fast food lunch we can muster on the day we celebrate (usually the same day as the Sunday School Christmas Program). This year was no exception.

C, you are such a special gift from God. Daddy and I love the way you have taken Cooper under your wing, playing with him, reading to him, and cuddling with him. We love your tender heart, your hilarious sense of humor, and your ability to make us all laugh. Happy seventh birthday, our dear sweet girl.....very late, but no less sincerely.