MIA,NOAH & HOPEcentral

Almost 2 years....

2011-03-02T08:41:00.002-06:00

We are approaching the 2 year mark of Noah being home. It's hard to imagine that it has been 2 years already. Though I can't imagine my life without him here, all the memories of him being gone, then returning, then the wait AGAIN for him to come home are all so fresh still...the pain, the faith, the trust, the joy. I am amazed daily as I look at my family. I'm reminded always of God's faithfulness!

As we approach this milestone, I am also sadly reminded that I have not been back to Haiti for so long. I did return once after Noah came home, but I have not been back since. That was over a year and a half ago. I miss her! I miss the people, the country, the feeling of doing something good for others, the feeling of making a difference. I keep praying and searching for direction on what to do. I know the Lord has given me this heart for Haiti and I feel like I am sort of wasting it, but at the same time I don't have clear direction either. There are so many great people working in Haiti. I have so many friends involved with GREAT organizations doing amazing things, yet here I sit in the comfort of my home wishing I were joining them. In all honesty, if Jeremy and I felt called to move to Haiti, I would do it in a heartbeat. Sure it would be tough leaving family and friends, but I would go if He asked.

I don't know what the future holds for me and Haiti, but I do know the Lord is good and He knows the plans He has for me! I guess for now that is all I need to know! I know He will lead and guide me in the way I should go. He is good! He is faithful! He is ALWAYS worthy of my praise!

Yearly Update

2011-02-17T09:48:00.016-06:00

Does anyone even check this anymore? If so, here's your yearly update. It's been almost a year since I posted last. Needless to say the kids have grown a lot! We are heading to the two year mark of Noah being home and three for Mia and Hope this summer! Time is flying by!

Jordyn is 14 now! She had a wonderful year in 7th grade but decided after praying about it that she should homeschool. It has been such a joy having her home. She works hard, gets her school work done, and is such a helper! She is definitely a blessing to us! She loves music, baking, reading, and taking care of her puppy CeeCee. I thank God for her daily!

Alexis is 12 going on 16! ; ) She loves being in middle school. She is our goofball always making us laugh, but at the same time working on her princess skills. It's hard to be a princess and a goofball, but somehow she pulls it off. Ali loves all that's girly....painting fingernails, putting on make-up, matching outfits, doing hair....if it's girly she loves it! She is quite the social butterfly but also loves being home with us(which I love!) She too is such a blessing and I love watching her grow up as well as grow in the Lord!

Camden is 9 and I cannot believe how much he is growing! He had a wonderful year of baseball last year! It was his first year to play and he loved it! We played spring ball, All-Stars, and finished up with fall ball! He couldn't get enough! We were so proud of him and had a blast cheering him on! He continues to be a tendered hearted little guy. He cares about people and loves the Lord! One of his favorite songs is Look What the Lord Has Done!

Mia will be turning 9 in a little over a month and that is one detail that she is VERY aware of! ; ) She continues to mother Hope whenever possible, but at the same time I think she is finally learning that she can be a kid too! She adores praise and worship and you can almost always here her singing. She played congas for me at church for a little while and did great, but decided she missed Children's Church. She misses her Haitian family more lately than normal, but has learned that it is ok to talk about it. She loves them so much and wants to visit as soon as possible. She is all about drama! Not necessarily bad drama just drama. ; ) Dress up, make believe, pretend play...she loves it all!

Noah is 7! In two years time he has changed so much! He has grown inside and out! He also played baseball in the fall and loved it! He started in the Spring not knowing what baseball was and went to playing in the Fall and doing awesome! He seriously can throw the ball! His little arm is a ball launcher and he's a good hitter too! He loved playing but maybe not as much as the consession stand. ; ) The boy loves to eat! Sometimes a little too much, but considering his past, I can't say that I blame him. He has decided he will never move out. He plans to live with Jeremy and I forever. We'll see if that lasts when he turns....oh....let's say....13. For now though, we are all he wants and I love that!

Last but not least, we have Hope who is now a whole 6 years old! She is in Kindergarten and her English is so good they determined she did not need ESL. She might need speech, thanks to all the thumb sucking she did, but no ESL for her! She is a sweet girl and loves to pray. Anytime she finds out someone doesn't feel good she prays for them and says, "Mom, I said, 'by Jesus stripes you are healed.'" She doesn't care who is around she wants to pray! She loved going to the beach this summer and the picture pretty much sums up what she wanted to do.

One final note....Jordyn, Alexis, Camden, & Noah are currently involved in a fundraiser for Leve Project. Leve is an organization helping break the cycle of poverty in Haiti. They don't want to treat the symptoms, they bring a cure! The kids have surrendered their closets and for every $100 raised they must wear the same shirt one more day. They have now been wearing this shirt for 11 days and are up to 18 as of today. The goal is 30 days and they are making me so proud with their efforts! If you want to help them wear their shirts longer, go to Nothing to Wear Challenge and donate. Any amount helps push them closer to their goal!

Progress.....

2010-03-03T09:18:00.012-06:00

Once again it has been a VERY long time since I posted on my blog. Time simply goes by and trying to raise six kids effectively doesn't make for a lot of time to sit and post about it. I did, however, want to write about the progress we make, but sometimes forget we are making. It's like watching someone lose weight everyday. You don't notice the changes like you would if you didn't see it everyday.

Our girls have been home now for 1 year and almost 8 months. When they came home they knew very little English, had no idea of what living with a family looked like, was academically behind, socially behind....it's exhausting remembering. Some days it is still exhausting, until I remind myself of the progress we have made.

When Mia started school last year, we put her in the first grade. We had major concerns because it was obvious that she was WAY behind. She didn't know A from Z, and couldn't add 1 + 1. The school assured me that she would pick things up quickly and that we would be surprised at how well she would do. To their surprise, by the end of the year she was still not getting her papers graded. They were only using stickers and smileys so she wouldn't get discouraged. She was barely able to read the word cat and this was after tutoring, working with her at home, you name it we did it. There was talk of a learning disability but they couldn't put their finger on it. The plan was to leave her in first grade and see what happened this year.

This year.....wow the difference. She is reading great! Math GREAT! She has an A- in Language Arts, A in Math and an A in Spelling. She does most of her homework independently now, no tutoring, nothing! Wow, what a difference! We also have grown in leaps and bounds in her social skills and she is learning what it's like to live with a family. Family life has been a little hard for her. She has been hurt so much in the past that she has some pretty tough walls, but little by little they are coming down and she is learning that we are here for the long hall. She is also learning that every choice has a consequence and to receive good things we must make good choices.

Hope, well, she fooled us for the first few months. We thought, "she is so easy." She listened well. She was behind in all the areas Mia was but she seemed to always do what we asked and wanted to learn. THEN....she realized we weren't going anywhere and she should test her boundaries. ; ) All kids do this, so it was no surprise really. Little by little she also has learned about consequences, what is socially acceptable here, and she has finally learned how to play. I remember in the beginning one of the hardest things for her was what to do when the kids were at school. She could not play alone. She didn't know how. When everyone was here she could make believe with the rest of them, but when it was just her, her imagination left when the kids left. I would tell her to go play in her room for a little while(trying to force her to play alone), only to find her laying on her bed......every time. It brought me such joy the other day when I was downstairs ironing and she came out with her baby in the stroller just talking up a storm on her "phone." She asked me to watch her baby because she had to go to work. She even told me how to pretend play with her baby saying, "Mom, when I'm gone say...'it's ok baby. Mommy will be back.'" I had flash backs of that little three year old laying on her bed waiting for me to tell her what to do next. Wow! How far we have come!!

She is doing great academically too. She went to preschool August-December, but in January I began teaching her at home. She now knows all her colors, most of her shapes minus weird ones like crescent, diamond, etc. She knows all but about 3 letters. She can count to 50 with very little help, and recognizes most numbers through 20. I am amazed at how far she has come!! We are still working on choices, but we are working on that with all 6 kids. I'm not sure that ever ends.

For Noah, transition has been a bit easier. He was behind in many areas, but having spent time away from the Orphanage he appeared to settle a little easier into family life. His life away wasn't pleasant, but he did at least understand a little better what a family looks like and being accountable to a parent or parent figure. Noah seemed to have more food issues than the girls. I'm sure he experienced far more hunger than they did, or at least it seems that way with the obsession that he had and still has at times. He would take food from the kitchen and lie about it over and over and over again. We would discipline him for it and explain that he simply needs to ask and if we say no then he cannot take it. We also would assure him every time that we would always have food for him to eat. He also didn't know any English when he came home and was obviously behind academically.

Only a year later, he is reading, speaks English clearly, and is no longer taking food from the kitchen. His teacher is amazed at how well he is doing. His last report card showed everything they tested him in as being mastered! He does so well that when he doesn't know something he gets very upset. We are so proud of him and his hard work!

So, although sometimes we take 3 steps forward and 2 steps back, we are still gaining ground and the Lord is with us every step we take. Jeremy and I are constantly praying for the Lord to give us wisdom, knowledge and understanding as we parent all six of our children, and He is faithful to answer our prayers! We are not perfect, but we hope someday to have 6 adult children that are responsible, respectful, and loving. We pray they will serve our awesome God with their whole hearts all the days of their life! We look forward to being this family of eight for eternity. For now, we are blessed beyond measure!

Couple of things....

2010-01-21T09:24:00.003-06:00

First, praise God all Three Angels children are in the states safe and sound with their families! We witnessed so many miracles in this past week, and simply stand in awe of our God! Below is a picture of the kids as they waited in Florida to be united with their families!

Second, many, many, many people are asking about the orphans of Haiti, orphans of Three Angels, and how they can help or offering to open their homes, both temporarily and permanent. To answer many of the questions about Three Angels children, they are all in homes. Thank you for asking though!

Now, may I say something that I hope doesn't come across wrong? Not sure why I asked because I am going to say it. ; ) Many people are throwing out offers left and right to bring a Haitian child into their home, and although I think it is great that so many care, I'm not sure that many are truly prepared for what might lie ahead. There should be NO rash decisions made. First of all, many of the children won't speak an ounce of English. Second, their culture is NOTHING like ours and these kids have been exposed to situations we cannot begin to comprehend. Third, there are steps that would need to be taken before anyone could actually open up their home. Our local social services will be involved with these cases and from what I understand homestudies have to be done, which can be costly.

Also, our kids have been home now...the girls for a year and a half and Noah ten months. The girls are still adjusting to this life, learning our culture and what is acceptable and what is not. Noah too, obviously, having been here for a lesser amount of time. The girls have struggled in different ways than how Noah struggles, largely due to the time he spent away from the orphanage. I'm not complaining, just saying. Even though they knew for a long time they were coming here. Even though I knew Creole. Even though we were aware of what challenges we might face, having had a LONG time to prepare for them. Even though, even though, even though, even though....it's hard for them. It's hard for us. It's hard. Having said that, I haven't regretted for one moment that the Lord gave me these children. They are my children in every way and I will always be thankful for them!

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from pursuing this, I just would want you to be aware of what is involved. You would have a child in your home that doesn't understand a word you say and who has been taken out of all they have ever known. They won't necessarily look at it as you "rescuing" them. For many, in their little minds, there wasn't anything wrong with their life.

I guess I'm just saying, please pray before making any decision. Make sure it is what the Lord is asking of you and not simply your heart strings being pulled for the moment. The Lord gives us grace to do His will, not necessarily ours.

Donate Now!

Thank you to everyone who has given, will give, has prayed and will continue praying!

Our God is an Awesome God!!!

2010-01-18T09:27:00.003-06:00

Quick update! All 26 Three Angels Children's Relief children are receiving travel documents as I type this to come to the US!!! 23 of them going to their forever families! God has worked so mightily in this situation! It will be so much better for the recovery efforts of TAs, to not have the concern of the children's well-being! As well as, who knows how many more children in Haiti need us now! Please continue to pray and donate! The need is overwhelming! However, today, we rejoice at the miracle of our children coming home!

Donate now!

Also, join us in praying that the Lord continues to work out EVERY detail for the arrival of the children! We need planes to get them where they need to go!

Three Angels Update

2010-01-15T08:14:00.002-06:00

What we *think* we know.

Dear friends, family and supporters -

We still have only gotten limited communication and are anxious to get feet on the ground (hopefully by tomorrow) to give us a real picture of what the need will be. Information is spotty and often unreliable but this is what we feel fairly confident communicating.

First, your fund-raising efforts are working and we are experiencing a generosity that we pray continues - this will truly be a joint effort with every person who gives.
We have had reports that the air quality is starting to bother some of the children. However, all of the kids, even the "sick" ones still seemed to be doing well - they are out playing and being silly.
Thanks to Megan Haug we were actually able to get some pictures of the children today - it certainly did us all a level of good.
We also received pictures of the property and in the light of day the prognosis is not very encouraging. Our structural engineer will hopefully give us better news
We have heard good news of friends who are alive: Alix, Reggie, most of our nannies, Gabriel, Madame Valet... yet there are still those we have not heard from. Many of those who have returned to Three Angels have lost loved ones and are grieving.
We are truly hoping to be able to secure 'parole visas' for the children and get them to the United States as soon as possible. We are not sure if this is attainable but are working diligently to pursue every option.
Haiti is in a very tenuous state right now and will only continue to deteriorate in the coming days. We hear that tension is rising. Price gauging for things like fuel are a reality and will become worse as fuel become more scarce. People will become even more desperate as water and food become scarce.
All civilian flights to Haiti were halted Thursday at the request of the Haitian government because there is no room at the damaged airport for more planes and no fuel to spare for departing aircraft. We are still hopeful that this will change in time for our team to arrive tomorrow afternoon.
From one of our friends in Haiti, "We are starting to see people on the streets with their mouth and nose covered with a cloth or a mask as the stench of death is beginning to hang in the air. In our particular area it is not as bad as some places where bodies are stacked on the side of the road and still buried in rubble. Today as I was on the road, I was passed by a police pickup truck that was stacked with dead bodies. I assure you that no photo can communicate the pain and despair that so many are feeling as we are now entering the days of discovery."

We truly appreciate your donations, your prayers and your offers of assistance.

Please continue praying for the many people we haven't heard from, some of our staff, birth families, etc. We long to hear word that they are ok. Also pray for peace to remain. As people get desperate for food and water, things could decline. Peace needs to remain in order to get the help they need. Thanks for checking in and again if you are considering donating, Three Angels needs your help!

Donate Now

Earthquake Update.....

2010-01-14T09:10:00.003-06:00

This picture is of the Caribbean Market we have walked to on numerous occasions.

Good morning, everyone. It's so hard sitting here in my comfortable home watching as so many of my friends and loved ones are suffering and possibly dying. I continue to trust in the Lord that He will strengthen, encourage, protect and deliver them!

The orphanage complex has suffered damage. The outside walls are all down, things inside the Orphanage are a mess, furniture turned over, stuff everywhere. I was fortunate enough to "talk" with Megan this morning on Facebook and she said, "it really is amazing. out of all the missionary families and other orphanages we've checked, everyone seems pretty okay and yet, you walk down the street and there are dead bodies lined up... i went into the O yesterday, i was amazed no one was hurt" It is obvious the Lord was watching over our little ones.

Currently, the staff is taking care of the kids at a nearby school, Quescaya Christian School, along with Abbey a volunteer that had been homeschooling the kids in the afternoon. Please pray for her, this is by far more than she planned for, more than anyone planned for. We do have some food at the complex so the cooks are preparing it and delivering it to the kids at the school.

There is a small group of four heading down tomorrow, our beloved Dr. Jack, a structural engineer, our fearless leader Gretchen, and an adoptive parent. They will be assessing the damage, the safety of moving the children back home, and simply caring for the kids, our neighbors and families of our employees. I say simply, but nothing in Haiti was simple before... let alone now. Please pray for them! They will need protection, strength, endurance, peace, and wisdom.

If you haven't already, please consider donating. Three Angels as well as many other organizations need your help!

Consider donating today!

Please help!

2010-01-13T08:56:00.002-06:00

I know I haven't posted in a really long time, and I'm not sure how many people will even see this. I just want to call for help for Three Angels. I'm sure many of you know of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday. Thankfully, the children were all kept safe, but there is damage to the Orphanage. Please considering donating today to help with the recovery of this massive quake. James 1:27 "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." To donate go to www.threeangelsrelief.org

Kids can be funny....

2009-10-22T09:13:00.002-05:00

Noah..."When I get big like Camden, then I will know what to do."
Thankfully, that means we only have about a year and Noah will have it all figured out.

Hope.... when asked what she will be when she grows up..."Umm, I won't pee and suck my thumb."
Way to set those goals, Hope! You really raised the bar on this one. ; )

Endurance

2009-10-12T08:41:00.004-05:00

Endurance - the ability or strength to continue or last, esp. despite fatigue, stress, or other adverse conditions; stamina

I started to post about my run yesterday, which I am, but when I started to...I felt like it was turning into more than that. So....endurance....the ability or strength to continue... despite...stress or other adverse conditions. Is it just me or does that sound like life? It seems, more than ever, people need endurance to live life. People need that ability or strength to continue despite stress or other adverse conditions.

I believe we are in the last days, as referred to in the Bible. Mark 13:⁵ And Jesus, answering them, began to say: “Take heed that no one deceives you. ⁶ For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He,’ and will deceive many. ⁷ But when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be troubled; for such things must happen, but the end is not yet. ⁸ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be earthquakes in various places, and there will be famines and troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows. Who can read this and say these things are not happening? We are living in what the Word has said we will live in in the last days.

I believe the return of my Lord Jesus is drawing nigh! I watch and pray for His return, but He isn't here yet and that brings us to endurance. Luke 21:26 says men's hearts will fail them from fear and expectation of those things that are coming on the earth. We need strength despite the stress! We need the ability to continue regardless of the adverse conditions.

Where will we obtain that strength or ability known as endurance? I know where my strength and endurance comes from. It comes from the One who endured all things for me! My strength comes from the Lord, my Maker, my Savior! Psalm 27:14 in the Amplified says, Wait and hope for and expect the Lord; be brave and of good courage and let your heart be stout and enduring. Yes, wait for and hope for and expect the Lord. See in Luke 21 just after the the verse saying men's hearts will fail them from fear the Word continues in verses 27 and 28 by saying, Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near. Our strength, our endurance will come as we lift up our heads, as we wait and hope for and expect the Lord! Isaiah 40:31 also tells us that strength will come as we wait. But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. I think I just wanted to encourage anyone that reads this. If you are feeling stressed, tired, faint, or feel surrounded by adverse conditions, know that your strength will come as you wait on the Lord. He will give you the endurance you need to get through each day. He will not leave you nor forsake you! He loves you and He too is waiting and longing for the day when He can come and take you home!

I experienced endurance in a way yesterday that I never dreamed I would. I ran a half marathon. My goal was to run the whole time, never walking, and to end somewhere around 2 hours and 30 minutes. I told myself to be happy, even if it took longer, just with finishing. I'm not a natural runner. I run slow. It hurts. It's hard. BUT there's something about running that draws me in. I can't seem to not do it. I'll admit I enjoy a short run, three....four miles that's fun, but 13.1 that's a challenge(for me).

When I started running a few years ago, I did it just to lose some weight and found I began to enjoy it. I lost some weight and found it easier to maintain if I kept it up. Then I started hearing friends talk about this half marathon in Evansville. What? Run 13.1, are you crazy? This is what I thought. I was impressed by their dedication, ambition, and endurance, but yes they were crazy.

Well, it turns out that crazy is contagious. Last year I trained for it and the week before the race ran 10 miles and injured my foot. No half for me, I could barely walk. This year I began training again. Praying before every run. There were times I thought....I don't know if I can do this. Lord, this is hard! Then other times I thought....I think I can do this. Lord, You are my strength! Back and forth I would go, confident then not so, back to confident then wavering again. One thing I was, though, was determined. I have a little stubborn streak in me, and sometimes it comes in handy. ; ) I was determined to do this thing that seemed so difficult and unnatural.

Saturday, I began thinking....Oh my gosh! What have I done? What was I thinking? A half marathon? Oh my gosh! I set the alarm and began to get things ready in the afternoon and that's when the nerves really hit. This was really happening. Oh golly! In addition to the obvious distance, the weather didn't cooperate either. I despise running in the cold. I feel like my lungs are freezing. I prefer to run in heat, so of course on Sunday as we head to the start line it's 40 degrees. Dressed in layers, off we go. Laura and Jason Burton, Jamie Newcomb and myself hop the nice warm shuttle bus to Reitz Hill.

As to not bore you with a play by play of the actual race, I'll jump ahead. I DID IT!!! I ran the race that was set before me with endurance. I never walked, not once. I finished with a time of 2 hours 15 minutes and 37 seconds! I have to say it was a very proud moment for me. My mom, step-dad, niece, and husband drove around town cheering me on all morning and capturing pictures. I was so thankful! They'll never truly know how much that helped me! It was so encouraging to see them! I also had a couple of friends cheering at different points! It was an awesome(freezing) day!

Here's a few pictures.....(for those of you not on facebook)

Me and my neighbor, training partner, and amazing friend, Laura!

Trying our best to stay warm.

And we're off!

Half way!!Two of our fans trying to stay warm! Thanks Mom and Doug!!!

Trying to finish strong!

Myself, Laura, Jason and Jamie with our medals! Happy it's over!!

Thank you, Lord, for the endurance to run this race! Not just the half marathon but this race you have set before me called life! I thank You for being with me every step of every day! I wait, hope for and expect You, my Lord, to come to my rescue! I look forward to your appearing!

Thank you, Laura for being an awesome training partner and friend! We've had some great laughs during all of this and I will remember this for many years to come!

Thank you, Mom, Doug, and Janessa for being our cheering squad! You were so awesome and so encouraging! Thanks for braving the dark, cold, windy morning to be there for me!

Thank you, Jeremy for encouraging me, even when I made goofy, determined choices. Thank you for chauffeuring the cheering squad around town and capturing so many great pictures of the day! You are so good to me! I love you and thank God for you everyday! Thanks for running the race we call "life" with me!

Race for the Cure 2009

2009-09-15T09:42:00.003-05:00

Saturday is this year's Greater Evansville Race for the Cure 2009! I am really looking forward to this years event. Last year, some of you may remember I walked it with Mom and Jordyn. We laughed and cried all day! It was an amazing experience! This year we will set out again to enjoy our day celebrating what the Lord has done in Mom, Jeremy's grandma, and in prayer for his step-mom, who was just recently diagnosed with breast cancer. Please check out my personal page by clicking the link below and considering helping me reach my goal!

My Personal Page!

These pictures are from last years race!

Jordyn, Mom and I getting ready for the big event!

Jordyn walking in celebration of Meemaw and Grandma Butus!!

Mom walking in the survivor parade! I will never forget this moment!
It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it!

Wow!

2009-08-18T08:15:00.009-05:00

Updated: 12:59pm - Hope is at school!!!

Has it seriously been almost two months since I posted on here. Sorry, to any of you that still check! I would say, "I'll do better," but honestly I probably won't.

So much has happened since my last post. We moved, church camp, school started.....we have been busy, busy, busy. Let's see if I can summarize for you.

We had a great summer! The kids have had fun playing with friends, riding bikes, swimming, camping, typical summer fun! Here's a few pics we captured of our summer fun!

The Lord worked it out for us to purchase a new home(new to us). It has been awesome to see how the Lord worked every detail out for us to move and He did it VERY quickly!! We feel so blessed to have more space (inside), we have great friends next door, and the kids are loving living in a neighborhood!

The weekend we moved, the kids all headed off to church camp! Again, the Lord worked it out. We were able to do the big stuff without needing to entertain, feed, bathe, etc....the kids. They were off having a WONDERFUL time at church camp with their friends! I would include a picture, but I wasn't there! ; )

School is in session and the kids are loving their new schools! We didn't move far, but far enough to need to change schools. The transition has been smooth and we are almost settled into our new routine. Hope starts school today, but here are some pics from the other kids first days of school. Jordyn is in 7th grade, Alexis 5th, Camden 2nd, Mia 1st and Noah kindergarten.

Hope starts PreK today and let me tell you she has NOT been patiently waiting! ; ) She is so ready to go to school and for the last two weeks has asked multiple times everyday, "When am I going to school? Am I going to school? Do I go to school today?" I'm not sure why she spoke as if we had never discussed these details, because we had......in great length......everytime she asked! For some reason there was something that blocked the words from my mouth to her ears, because everyday we had the same coversations. I admit it finally came down to me saying, "Hope, don't ask again." We are both excited that she will start school today! ; ) I will try to post pics from her first day soon, but in case I forget, here's a beautiful picture Jordyn took of Hope while we were camping.

That's it for now. There's so much more I could post, but I don't have time to post it and you don't have time to read it. I'll just end by saying the Lord has been so good to us!!

Update...

2009-06-25T10:15:00.010-05:00

I apologize for my lack of updates. I wish I had more time to tell you all the little details, but I'm usually too busy dealing with all the little details. ; ) Today I am almost home alone, so I'll take a little time to give you a sneak peak into our summer. 5 of the kids are at a pool party today. Unfortunately, Noah made some poor choices at church last night and his consequence was not going to the pool party. I have to say that this was a hard thing to follow through with, for two reasons. One, I was looking forward to a day all to myself. As you can imagine, with six kids, those are few and far between. Actually, they simply don't happen. I love my life, but who wouldn't enjoy a little peace and quiet for at least a few hours, right? The second reason is obvious, my poor little guy had to watch all the other kids get up excited about the party, get their swimming suits and sunscreen on, and sadly watch from the back seat as everyone filed out and began greeting their friends at the party. Thankfully, their was no meltdown, just quiet whimpers as he was reminded of his poor choices and the need to make better ones. I hope it's a lesson he learns quickly.

This brings me to one thing I've noticed with my children. My oldest three have always been better for others. They are good for me, but typically FABULOUS for other people. There have been rare occurrences of course, but mostly when I let them go somewhere I know they will behave. My younger three, however, are not that way. They will test the boundaries and see just how far they can push. This is hard. I think in some ways people tend to let them get away with more, sort of compensating for the life they had before coming home. Unfortunately, this doesn't help. We have found that, more than ever, they need those strict boundaries and they need them enforced. It isn't fun, but needful. It's not always fun being the parent. Just like today, I wish I could make this a fun one on one day with Noah, but what message would that send. Act bad in church and you get special/fun time with Mommy. So, we are home alone, with everything at our disposal, yet there will be no swimming, no trampoline, and no movies. I hope it's an example to all of my children that behavior when Jeremy and I are not around is just as important as when we are. Mia seems to have figured it out pretty quickly. Her obedience with others has come a LONG way!! We are so proud of the choices she is making in our absence! Now if we can just get Noah and Hope to follow suit!

Enough of that, let's talk about fun stuff! Last week Noah celebrated his 6th birthday! For weeks leading up to it I would ask him what he wanted for his birthday. He would respond, "I want cake and for you to sing Happy Birthday to me." Ok, consider it done! It was the sweetest thing! He did finally ask for a bike. Everyone had a bike or a trike but him, so that seemed like a fair thing to ask for. As you can see below, he was pretty happy with it!

It really was wonderful having him home! We had the privilege of spending his third birthday with him at the Orphanage, but all the others had been missed! This one was so special. We had a party at my sisters for him and Father's Day. My sister asked me to bless the food and as I thanked the Lord for our fathers and for the miracle of Noah being home, I barely made it through the prayer. Our Father has been so faithful to us! We are amazed at the miracle of our son!

Camden is loving summer! He loves to swim, ride his bike, jump on the trampoline, you name it he likes it! Two days ago he found a turtle in the yard, so for a couple of days he was allowed to keep it. He has been trying to get me to let him keep it as a pet, but I assured him that the tortoise was created to enjoy life outdoors in the wild! I reminded him that if that's where he was created to be, that is where he would be happiest. We have big plans of releasing him tonight at a pond near our house. Camden has asked it be a special time of riding bikes, rock skipping and tortoise releasing. ; ) I think we can handle that. Seriously, you would think we've had this thing for years. Apparently, they are buddies and will need this time to say their goodbyes.

Camden has grown up so much! He will be in the second grade this year and I have NO idea where the time has gone! He's learning to be a great big brother. Today, he wanted to give Noah a toy since he couldn't go to the party. Jeremy explained that it was a very nice thought, but that Noah needed to understand this punishment and therefore he couldn't be given a "gift." Camden teared up. He has such a tender heart. It doesn't always surface, but I love it when it does.

Hope and Jordyn continue to have a sweet little relationship. They are true sisters from driving each other crazy one minute to have fun together the next. The night before our Haiti trip, Jordyn let Hope sleep with her. As you can see here, they were having tons of fun at their little mini-slumber party. Hope LOVES spending time with Jordyn, and I think it goes both ways.

Hope has changed so much. She was still such a baby in so many ways when she came home, but now she is becoming a little girl and full of personality! She is so excited about starting school in the fall. She will be in Pre-K and cannot wait! I think it will be good for her in many ways, but it reminds me of how fast time will go. It seems once school starts you turn around and they are 12. I hope I can remember to enjoy every moment, because I know it won't last long.

Speaking of 12, Jordyn will be in the 7th grade this year. Wow! That doesn't seem possible! She has turned into an amazing young lady with a heart to please the Lord. I am so proud of who she is. She's really at a great age right now. She's old enough to have some responsibility but is still Mommy and Daddy's little girl. I don't want her to grow up so fast, but I'm excited to see the woman God has created her to be.

Alexis has changed so much lately too. She is outgrowing her princess side. She assures me that she will always, "be my girl and Daddy's princess," but my little girl is growing up. Haiti was such an amazing experience for her and it was hard for her coming home. She still misses the kids! I think it really opened her eyes though to what a great life she has. She has been so helpful and talks about the fact that even though we have a lot of work to do, it's so much easier than the way things are done in Haiti. She really recognized how much harder life is for Haitians than for us. I was so proud of what she learned and brought home from that trip. She handled it so well and showed me how mature she is now. Again, where does the time go?

Ali is such a beautiful girl, inside and out! So many people have said, "I have never met anyone as sweet as Alexis." It's true, she has such a sweet nature. She can bring the drama too, but all in all she is a sweet, sweet girl!

Mia is in summer school right now and is enjoying it WAY more than she thought she would. She just loves to meet people and learn all about them. I think she knows more about her bus driver than she does me. ; ) She loves to talk! She was behind in several things at school but her communication skills were incredible! For many of you, I know this doesn't surprise you. At this point we just need to figure out how to get her to stop talking. ; )

This picture is who she is, full of life, and enjoying every moment. Ok, maybe not every moment, but most of them. She has a little stubborn side and wants to do what SHE wants to do, but she, for the most part, simply enjoys life. She loves to help people! She genuinely loves people! Our social butterfly, indeed!

If you saw my previous post you know that Jeremy and I celebrated our 16th Anniversary last week. Thanks to my Momma, we were able to go out for dinner and a movie. We talked about the next 16 years and how fast it will go! We are so blessed with a wonderful marriage! We simply love being together. Girls night out/guys night out, they can be fun, but we would rather be with each other. He always makes me laugh and I hope I make him, at least, half as happy as he makes me.
Whew! I made it! I don't know if you read it all, but don't worry there won't be another long post like this for a while. ; ) Thanks for checking in with us!

I'm so blessed!

2009-06-19T10:34:00.005-05:00

Happy Anniversary, Jeremy! 16 years and all I know to say is I'm so blessed! I love you!

Family Photo!

2009-06-11T10:08:00.004-05:00

After many years of our family photos being incomplete, I would like to share with you our new, and complete, family photo.

Cundiff Family, (always) a party of eight!

So proud!

2009-05-26T10:32:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the multiple posts but with 6 kids it's bound to happen!

I was so proud on Sunday! Camden gave his heart to the Lord at an early age. This is something I have always prayed for my children. Since the time they were born or since the time I knew they were mine, I have prayed that, "my children will come to know You at an early age and will desire to serve You all the days of their life." I can praise the Lord for answering that prayer for three out of six thus far. Jordyn was four when she told me she wanted to ask Jesus into her heart. Alexis was three when she, completely on her own, said, "Mommy, I want to ask Jesus in my heart, all of Him." Camden was five and made his decision during a Sunday School class at church.

The girls had since been baptized but Camden declared he wasn't ready for that. We had talked to him about what it means and that is something he should do, but that he didn't have to until he was ready. So a little while ago he decided it was time. Sunday our son was baptized! It does my heart good to see the goodness of the Lord in my children. Our God is good and His mercy is everlasting! Thank you, Lord!

Camden said yesterday, "I will never forget Sunday, May 24, 2009."

Exhausting...Part II

2009-05-26T10:28:00.003-05:00

When I came home from my morning errands yesterday this is what I found....

Holiday Weekends......

2009-05-24T22:50:00.002-05:00

can be exhausting!

Ali's Corner

2009-05-23T21:44:00.004-05:00

Alexis has a new blog with blogger. She wanted to have the same kind as the rest of us, so out with WordPress and on with blogger! ; ) Check it out!

alexiscundiff.blogspot.com

Happy Mother's Day!

2009-05-10T21:15:00.002-05:00

Today was the first Mother's Day since 2004 that I had all of my children with me! What a blessed day! It started with breakfast in bed(Thanks Ali!) and was wonderful from then on!! Thank you, Lord, for my amazing SIX children!

Words of Hope

2009-05-07T10:51:00.005-05:00

"Well, I want to sit on your lap because I love you and I'm your baby."

"If you sing, I'll give you some candy."

"Let me see if you stink."

"When I marry Jonas I need pretty pink shoes."

"Give me five. Good job!"

"I'm your mom and you're my baby. Oh!! I don't say it right!"

Two amazing girls!

2009-04-29T12:40:00.003-05:00

Many of you may know already that Jordyn and Alexis are planning to go to Haiti in June. Jordyn went a couple of years ago and has wanted to go back ever since. Alexis on the other hand wasn't sure she was ready to go until about a year ago and she began to have a burning desire to visit the place her siblings once called home. These girls are so amazing! They have left me speechless on many occasions with their compassion for those less fortunate than we.

I told them they could go only if they raised the money to pay for it themselves. They started fund raising and saving right away. I'm so excited to report that they are getting so close. Each one only has about $300 left to raise! They worked at our church auction, sold Papa Murphy peelers, sent support letters, and saved change to put as much as they could in their "Haiti box." They still have a few things left to do, but I had to take a moment to say how very proud I am of them. I cannot wait to share this experience with my amazing girls!

If you would like to help in their efforts please e-mail me at mecundiff@yahoo.com for details on how you can be a part of their journey!

The Zoo...

2009-04-20T09:14:00.006-05:00

We had so much fun over Spring Break visiting the St. Louis Zoo! The kids loved it!

Nearly every exhibit he was the last to leave. All day we heard, "Oh gade!!"

Jordyn and Hope are quite the pair. I had a feeling they would be buddies and I was certainly right. Speaking of buddies, turns out the buddy system is a must to survive a day at the zoo with 6 kids. Thanks to this system we didn't lose a single child. Thumbs up on that one!

My boys! It's so great seeing them all together! I love each one so much!
I'm blessed beyond measure that's for sure!

Mia was all smiles! This girl could light the world with her smile.

Check out this exhibit! Wait a minute....

All of my amazing children! Well and a zebra, that one's not mine.

Taking time to stop and smell the flowers. Hope just has to make sure Noah is smelling the right one. ; ) They did smell really great, unlike the elephants that smelled really NOT great!

Alexis with her buddy, aka "Grandma."

Gotta love timers! Apparently, Mia wasn't ALL smiles. ; ) It was a wonderful family day!!

The carousel is always a big hit!

Yuck, Alexis!

Hopey loves the ride!

I guess that sums it up. This post was brought to you by someone's dirty underwear!

Quick update...

2009-04-16T13:13:00.002-05:00

Things are good! I'm sorry I don't have time to update this very often. I would promise to do better, but if I do better that might mean someone is wearing dirty underwear and NOBODY wants that! In a nutshell things are good. We are winding down on school and we are all excited about summer! We found a vehicle we can all fit in so no more riding on the floor for me. I'm pretty pumped about that! I've decided to be frugal on a few things. I have plans for a bigger garden and doing lots of canning this year. I'm also making my own dishwasher detergent and will attempt making laundry detergent tonight. I think I'm becoming one of those women that I used to think.....why? Now I know. 1000 loads of laundry saving, at the very least, $.15 a load equals a savings of $150. That's almost four new pairs of tennis shoes, and way more if I can catch them on a sale. You might think 1000 loads sounds like a lot, but I think I did that many last week. Ok, maybe not, but it did feel like it. At any rate, it's kind of fun so we'll try it and see how it goes! I promise to post some new pictures soon, but this will have to do for now. Blessings to all of you who still come to see what this Cundiff party of eight is like.

Mia's first birthday at home....

2009-04-06T12:45:00.004-05:00

We had a party for her on Sunday though her birthday was actually on Monday. I have to say we had a wonderful time, but I did have a moment of sadness as I thought of Mia's birth-mother in Haiti. Mia LOVED her party and being surrounded by so many family members! She was ALL smiles, and what a beautiful smile it is!! I can't believe she is 7!

It is so amazing celebrating these wonderful days with all of our children!

We just don't fit!

2009-04-03T09:10:00.003-05:00

No matter how you look at it. No matter how many times we try. We just don't fit. For some reason 8 passengers do not fit in a 7 passenger van(unless you are in Haiti, then you can fit about 14 in there). So she's for sale!

$6200

Please pray we are able to sell our van quickly. We have found another vehicle that we do all fit in and need to sell this one as soon as possible. Thanks!

Coming Home

2009-04-01T14:11:00.004-05:00

I guess it's finally time to post these. Coming home was so wonderful. Noah was excited to be FINALLY going home. The departure was so different than that of the girls. Theirs was exciting too but seeing the pain in their mother's eyes made it harder. Noah and I woke up with smiles on our faces. We were up early and ready to go in plenty of time. He was able to go around and tell all the nannies and cooks goodbye. He smiled and loudly proclaimed, "Bye Bye!" They hugged him, kissed him, and wanted pictures with him. There was a team there so they then followed us out to the van. We were all set!!

Waiting in the Port au Prince Airport for our departure!

The first of many strides it would take to get us home!

Watching his life change drastically, but not clear of all it would involve. One day he will know the Lord delivered him!

Gotta love long layovers! He was a dream. He loved watching the planes come and go. That was a very good thing for me considering we got stuck in Ft. Lauderdale and in Chicago.

Traveling like a Pro!

This was the group I didn't get to see. : ( Unfortunately, due to many delays we arrived home over two hours later than expected. I did have a nice size group still determined to see this miracle happen. A big thank you goes out to everyone who came!

Finally

2009-03-28T16:43:00.005-05:00

You have all been so patient!! I know you have been wanting to see pictures of our family now that Noah is home. I don't have time to post much other than to say we are having a great time and things are going really well!! Here are a few teasers of some of the things we have been doing. I hope to post pictures soon of each event, but who has time to be on the computer with 6 kids. So far, not me.

Camp Meemaw's!!

Alexis and Noah at the park!

Our boys!!

Count them! That would be all SIX of our children at the St. Louis Zoo!! It feels so good to have them all together!!

Final days..

2009-03-17T08:17:00.005-05:00

It was so good to know these were his final days in Haiti. I'm sure he will visit someday, but you know what I mean.

So handsome!

Last day of school!

Making cupcakes with Bethany for his going away "party."

Noah with his good friend Jimmy! Jimmy was very instrumental in Noah's return to the Orphanage. We will be forever grateful for the many phone calls, visits, and talks!!

Going home day!

A look back....

2009-03-13T02:11:00.004-05:00

Things are going great here! We are all thrilled to have Noah home and continue to find ourselves looking at him and thinking, "really?!" I wanted to take a moment though to share two video clips that I think you will enjoy.

As many of you know, it had been a year and five months since I had seen Noah and held him in my arms. Since January 9th, I had been aching to go to Haiti and be reunited with our son. I was finally scheduled to lead a trip down on March 8th and was ecstatic to finally know that I would see him. Long story short, we were blessed to have our visa appt three days prior to this date and then knew I would not only be seeing him, but bringing him home.

The team decided to go to the guest house first and drop off their bags and then we would travel to the O. This seemed like the smart choice though my heart wanted to scream, "No, I need to go see my son. Forget your bags!" Sorry guys! ; ) Well, thanks to Megan, Colleen, Jimmy and Junior, I didn't have to wait. Thanks guys! For a girl who loves surprises, this couldn't have been a better gift!!

The following takes place between 11:30 and 12:30pm.

A family complete!!!

2009-03-11T10:50:00.004-05:00

Picture taken by Todd Burnett

Our God is so good! I will praise you Lord always for this marvelous thing you have done!!

A picture is worth.....well you be the judge.......

2009-03-06T19:41:00.003-06:00

Also, check out the scripture in today's "Walk in the Light!" It's pretty cool!!!

If you check this post after Friday March 6, then look it up. It was Isaiah 25:1 (NIV)

FLIGHTS BOOKED!!!!!!!

2009-03-05T11:38:00.002-06:00

We are flying home on Tuesday! We will arrive in Evansville at 9:40pm(assuming everything goes as planned and flights are not delayed). Anyone that wants to welcome us home is welcome to be there!! This is one party we have waited a long time for!! I cannot wait to be on the airplane, look over and see our son sitting next to me.

Guess what!

2009-03-05T09:31:00.003-06:00

VISA APPROVED!!!!!!!!

They have the receipt to pick it up tomorrrow!! The Lord is so good! He is so faithful!! He has blessed me beyond these 26 letters I have to work with!

I'm still looking at flights and determining what is the best plan. I will be flying home either Monday or Tuesday. Please pray we are able to arrange the flights without any problems!!

Update

2009-03-03T14:41:00.002-06:00

I interrupt this blog for an update!

A visa interview is scheduled on behalf of Wilbert T Cundiff for

Thursday, March 5, 2009, at 7:00 a.m.

Finally....

2009-03-02T10:00:00.002-06:00

I will hold our son in my arms again! It has been so long and I am more than ready!! I am scheduled to lead a trip that leaves this weekend. So instead of wondering each day when our visa appointment will be I've decided to avert my attention to the fact that I will be seeing, holding, and loving on our boy no later than Sunday!! Now don't you think for one moment that I'm not still praying daily for that appointment, but I'm thankful to have this other option to rejoice over right now!

We are praying his appointment will be this week, but until we hear about it I will be packing and getting so excited to finally go see our son!

No news yet....

2009-02-24T11:33:00.004-06:00

As some of you know the Embassy was closed yesterday and today for Carnaval. We are hoping to hear tomorrow of our appointment and are praying they will set it for Thursday or Friday! We are all excited and ready for him to come home. A recent picture of Noah sums up how we all feel about this wait.....

He's even handsome when he's pouting! Do you think I'll still say that in about six months or so? Probably not. Very similar to the fact that Camden's pout was cute in this picture, but it's not so cute now. ; )

Have a blessed day and I hope to have more news for you tomorrow!! The Lord is good and is always worthy to be praised!!

Camden's project

2009-02-17T13:50:00.003-06:00

Camden had to make a "robot" out of recycled materials for school.
He and Jeremy worked on it and I think they did a pretty great job!

I love the bunny ears. I'm quite certain that when the robot sees this picture,
he will be so embarrassed! ; ) Good job, buddy!

Now what?

2009-02-12T23:37:00.003-06:00

So, many have asked, "Now what?" Some have said, "What's next?" Others simply, "When are you leaving?" I thought I would give a slight update of my plans. What we are waiting for now is a visa appointment. The file is in the Adoption Unit of the Consular Section at the Embassy. Once a file arrives in their office, the agent working with the parents must request an appointment. The appointment is scheduled and according to their website "After all requirements are fulfilled under Haitian and American law, the immigrant visa is generally issued on the following business day." I sent everything needed for the appointment to Haiti last month with Todd when he went to get Jonas. I had left everything there back in July, but just to be safe I sent it all again. You can never be too prepared in Haiti. ; )

Once we receive an actual date for the visa appointment I will book my flight. I am so ready for that HUGE step! I have wanted to go to Haiti since I received the call that he was back. However, I didn't want to spend a month or more there, not knowing when they would process his visa. You know.......been there, done that! And so, I wait. I wait for the appointment to be scheduled. I wait to book my flight. And as I've done since December of 2005, I wait to bring our son home!

While waiting we will be building benches to go with our remodeled kitchen table. As of now we don't have enough seating. We will also be looking for a different vehicle that seats 8. I will be unpacking size 4/5 clothes and making sure we are all set there. We will be buying a new pair of tennis shoes and packing a little bag of items for the airplane ride home.

I am still in such awe of the goodness of our God! He has given us the grace, peace and joy to endure this process. He has blessed us beyond measure with so many people that have encouraged us and supported us along the way. He has never left us. He has heard our cry......

Psalm 40:1 (Amplified) "I waited patiently and expectantly for the Lord; and He inclined to me and heard my cry."

Isaiah 40:28-31 (Amplified) "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not faint or grow weary; there is no searching of His understanding. He gives power to the faint and weary, and to him who has no might He increases strength [causing it to multiply and making it to abound]. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and [selected] young men shall feebly stumble and fall exhausted; But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power; they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]; they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired."

These scriptures have meant so much to me over these last few years. I had to share them. I know they are probably familiar to you, but I beg you don't allow them to become too familiar. Soak them up like it's the first time you heard or read them. The Lord WILL strengthen you as you wait, expect, look for and hope in Him!

One final thing, I want to thank the praise and worship team from Port au Prince Fellowship. They may never read this, but I have to express my gratitude anyway. During my many visits these past two years(since I found PAP Fellowship), I have been strengthened through their ministry of song. Many times I was amazed by the songs they would sing and how they would lift me up and encourage me and caused me to feel as if the Lord was speaking directly to me. Well, He was of course! So many times they would sing one of my favorites, Everlasting God. I'm not normally one to post lyrics of a song, but this one has been such a huge part of my "wait" that I have to include it. I pray it gets in your heart as it did mine and when you feel you can't wait another day you will sing.....
"Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles"

Update

2009-02-11T12:19:00.002-06:00

"The approval has been reaffirmed and has been moved on for visa issuance."

Praise the Lord!!

Pumpkin Bread

2009-02-03T10:10:00.003-06:00

Hope and I made pumpkin bread this morning! It is baking right now and smells delicious!! It's a new recipe(with a few changes I made) so we'll see how it goes!
My question for you is....just how many things can you lick while baking pumpkin bread?

1. The wooden spoon

2. The beater

3. The spatula

I guess three would be the answer!
However, if you like, you can sit on the kitchen sink and eat the unused pumpkin!

Mia loves to get married.

2009-01-29T10:42:00.007-06:00

Some of you may remember she married Steve when she was at the Orphanage. Well, she got married again the other night, but, unfortunately, her fiance was M.I.A. She did not let that stop her. The show must go on.....

Bridesmaid ~ Hope

Maid of Honor ~ Alexis

Blushing Bride ~ Mia
The bouquet toss!
Mia sang Shout to the Lord!Alexis explaining which finger the ring goes on. Thankfully, Mia had a ring ready. It could have been a disaster, well with the groom missing and all. That's some great planifications if you ask me. Camden recited a couple of poems. Notice he dressed up for the occasion!

There was also a scripture reading by the Mother of the Bride, but the photographer failed to capture it. In attendance were the Father of the Bride, Sister of the Bride,
and two Dogs of the Bride.

Thank you, Megan and Stacy!!

2009-01-26T08:27:00.003-06:00

We love Skype!! We love Megan and Stacy!! We love talking to our son!! Saturday morning we were finally able to Skype with Noah with the whole family present! As you can see in this first photo he looks a little confused. This skype stuff is hard for a kid to understand. He was quiet and not too smiley. However, once they gave him a telephone, he put it up to his ear and began to talk up a storm and as you can see was quite happy. It was so funny! He wouldn't talk to us without the phone to his ear. We were cracking up!

He and Mia had the same conversation about 4 times. It went a little something like this....

Mia: "Alo, Noah!"

Noah: "Alo!"

Mia: "Koman ou ye?" (How are you?)

Noah: "Byen!" (Well)

Mia: "W'ap vin lakay mwen?" (You coming to my house?)

Noah: "Wi!" (Yes!)

Mia: "Mwen sonje ou, Noah, anpil, anpil!" (I miss you, Noah, very much!)

Noah: "Mwen sonje ou tou!" (I miss you too!)

Then Hope adds in English with beautiful expression, "Noah, I miss you so much!"

The other kids knew he didn't speak English so they just watched and listened and enjoyed seeing their brother talk on the phone. ; ) He also played with a camera for a while and looked amazed that I had three cameras. ; ) So Megan and Stacy suggested we get him a phone, camera, and a big wheel. We've made a list, and as many of you know that list includes cheese puffs!! ; )

Thank you, Todd,

2009-01-20T09:27:00.003-06:00

for some new pictures! I'm so blessed!

Settling in....

2009-01-16T08:25:00.003-06:00

From what I hear Noah is doing great! He is settling in to the routine of the O nicely. There have been so many changes since he was there last, I'm sure he was thinking, "wait a minute. Is this the right place?" ; ) Todd Burnett has been at the O to pick up Jonas and fly home TOMORROW!!! I hope to have some new pics of Noah to post after he gets home! Todd sent me a messaging saying, "ur son is amazing." Well, of course he is, Todd! ; )

Many have asked, "what now?" so I wanted to update you a little. Noah's adoption is complete on the Haitian side. He is Wilbert Theophin Cundiff. By Haitian law he is our son! Praise the LORD!!! All we need is his visa. We are praying this last step will move quickly and our son will finally be home where he belongs!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers and well wishes! We are so humbled by the number of people who have been praying for us and for our son! Our God is faithful to His word! We stand in awe and continue to praise Him for ALL He has done!

The details....

2009-01-13T07:31:00.003-06:00

It's Saturday morning, 10:02am and the phone rings. Caller ID says it's Gretchen, so I answer not having any idea what would follow.

"Michelle, the dad called Jimmy this morning and said he was ready. Jimmy is going to get him!"

"REALLY?!?!?!" followed by sobs, tears, and "Oh my gosh!"

More sobs, tears, and "Oh my gosh!"

I'm sure Gretchen was talking through some of this, but honestly I have no idea what she was saying. Sorry Gretchen!

She finally says, realizing I'm hysterical, "Ok, I'm going to let you go. You let this sink in and I'll let you know as soon as I hear something."

Sobbing, "Ok."

"Michelle, I think this is what you have been praying for."

"Oh my gosh. Ok."

I hang up the phone and run upstairs to Jeremy, who is in the shower.

Still sobbing, "Honey. Jeremy."

He opens the door with this look like, "oh honey, what's wrong?"

Sobbing I tell him of our conversation, if that's what you want to call it. ;) He reaches out, dripping wet, and pulls me to him and we begin to thank the Lord for what we fully hope is happening.

Sneaky Camden opens the door on the verge of tears, "Mom, does this mean Noah's coming home?"

We didn't want to tell the kids until we knew he was at the Orphanage. So I replied, "Well, his dad says he still wants us to adopt him." We've had too many instances of thinking things would go one way and they went completely different, so we hoped to spare them of any more tears.
In no time at all, Mia was behind Camden, asking as well. We only told them, at this point, that Jimmy had seen a picture of Noah and his dad was saying he still wanted us to be his family, and off to Jordyn's basketball game we went, trying to act normal(well, normal for us).

11:00am goes by
12:00pm goes by
1:00pm yep, goes by
2:00pm goes by
2:16pm I text Gretchen, "Nothing?"
3:42pm "Talked to Megan Jimmy's not back yet."
3:43pm "K, thanks!!"
4:18pm "Jimmy says he is getting him right now. ?"
4:18pm "Ok!!!???"
4:31pm Gretchen calls, but Jimmy's still not back.
6:04pm Gretchen calls to say she can't get through, but promises to keep trying
6:10pm Gretchen: "Michelle, I just talked to him on the phone."

We talked details with a few interuptions here and there of me saying, "Wait a minute, wait a minute, he's there?!?!" Gretchen would excitedly responded, "Yes, he's there!"

I told Jeremy and a few minutes later we let the kids know. Jeremy says to Camden, "Well, buddy, are you ready to move to the top bunk?" Camden simply bowed his head with silent tears, followed by a slight nod. We immediately came together and prayed. We thanked our Lord for this miracle and asked Him to bring Noah home soon. Everyone was so excited. About 20 minutes later Mia comes to me, buries her head in my neck and crying says, "Jesus, bring him home."

Needless to say, our evening was filled with tears, laughter, great joy and rejoicing, phone calls, texting, blog posting, and e-mails. Thanks to our wonderful Megan who is serving at Angel House currently, we received pictures with a simple message, "He is really here!" Thank you, Megan! You have been so great!!!

A little while later I was able to call and put him on speaker phone. We talked with him for 20 minutes! He sounded so great!! He said, "Alo, Manman!" (Hello, Mama!) Then a few minutes later he said, "Ki kote Papa'm?" (Where's my Papa?) It was such an amazing phone call, mostly spent telling each other, "I love you. I miss you." He asked to speak with Mia too. She was pretty excited and even got to talk to one of her favorite nannies. When I talked to the nanny she said they were so happy and simply kept saying, "Mesi, Jezi. Mesi, Jezi, mesi!" And of course I responded, "Yes, mesi, Jezi, mesi!"

This is during our conversation. I think he looks kind of happy and TOOTHLESS!!

Somehow we finally were able to get to sleep that night, but woke up with the same smiles on our faces and a thankful heart for what the Lord had done! Please continue to rejoice with us! Our God is so good and faithful to all generations!! We continue to trust Him completely with the completion of this miracle! Praise the Lord!!

Our son!

2009-01-10T20:23:00.001-06:00

Whew....

2008-12-31T08:20:00.013-06:00

Christmas is over! It was a whirlwind, but lots of fun. The kids were in two church programs, we had 5 days of Christmas gatherings, cookie baking, Camden's birthday, runny noses, coughs, a puppy and presents galore!! It might be easier for me to just show you pictures and give a little snippet.

Camden's Birthday!
My big 7 year old! I can't believe he is 7. Where does time go? He had a great birthday!!

Christmas Program #1

As you can see, Camden is making sure everyone is doing their job correctly. Jordyn feels a little to old to be doing this. Mia is unsure of what is transpiring. Alexis is doing her best to keep an eye on the little ones and Hope well she is just terrified of all these people looking at her, displayed by a look of Mom do NOT leave me here.

The kids met Santa!
These are the only two I managed to capture a picture of. Come on, guys, give me a break. I have five kids. I'd be taking pictures all the time to catch everything.
Wait a minute......

Christmas Program #2
Program #2... Camden was a shepherd, Ali and Mia were wise women, Jordyn a narrator, and Hope an angel, or "angle" in her words. They did great!

Cookie baking day with Meemaw, TT, and cousins.
The older girls enjoyed joining the adults this year.

Hope kept busy making sure we were working through our list. ; )

Then came Christmas at Grandma and Grandpa's!
Mia can't wait to open presents!!

I gave Jeremy a present early. Our latest Cundiff addition.....Jersey!

Christmas Eve
We had a surprise visit from Jeremy's Dad and Stepmom this year, so Christmas Eve was spent with them and his grandparents. We don't typically get to see them during the Christmas season since they live in TX. We thoroughly enjoyed having them with us!!

Wow, Jordyn, when did you grow up? Just yesterday you were falling down the eisle of TT & Uncle Brent's wedding....ok, so maybe that was 11 years ago today(New Year's Eve), but it sure feels like yesterday! Happy Anniversary, guys!

Finally Christmas Morning!!

Jeremy shares with the children the true meaning of Christmas and how Jesus was our gift from our Father and that's why we give gifts during Christmas. We started a new tradition this year of waiting to put our star on the tree until Christmas morning. It was wonderful to take time out during the chaos of presents to talk about the true reason for our celebration.

Everyone loved their gifts! Ali was so happy to have her pink DS!!

Mia got the baby she was hoping for!!

Jordy found the perfect present for Camden! ; )

Hope LOVED this Gabriella costume. She wore the wig all day....even to Grandma's house!

Jordyn also was happy to get her green Ipod! I think Ali was excited for her too! ; )

Daddy and Hope enjoying some of Hope's treasures later at Grandma's(I had removed the wig by this time)!

Off to Christmas with Meemaw and Papaw Doug!!
Or is it Meemaw and the Storm Trooper, I'm not sure.

Last but not least, Christmas with Dad!
This celebration always begins with Dad reading The Christmas Story from Luke 2.

Geez, Dad, how many grandkids do you have? Wait, most of those are mine.
Never-mind.

Resting...
As you can see here, we are all tuckered out! I'm sure after this post you are too!
We pray you had a wonderful Christmas, enjoying family, friends, and most of all remembering our Savior!

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-18T10:50:00.002-06:00

Things will be busy in the next couple of weeks, so I wanted to take a moment to wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas(or maybe a "Monkey Christmas")!! Either way, try to take a moment, in the midst of all the baking, gathering, and presents, to remember the reason we celebrate this joyous holiday! Thank you Jesus!

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

A Hope first

2008-12-16T07:27:00.003-06:00

Hope had her first birthday at home yesterday! Our baby girl turned four! She had a great day! Thanks to the threat of winter weather, it was a small gathering, but for Hope it was perfect. We had pizza(one of her favorite things), cake, ice cream, and presents!

When she opened her presents she became so shy. For many of you, you know this is not a Hope normal. ; ) I think she was a bit overwhelmed by the 100% focus on her. In fact there was one moment that melted my heart completely. We gathered around her and sang Happy Birthday before she blew out her candles. She sat and listened with this beautiful smile on her face. Once we were finished, she knew what to do. Out the candles went and immediately she buried her head in her hands. I knew she was crying. It wasn't a cry with any noise, just the kind with tears. I walked around and knelt beside her, wrapped my arms around her and whispered, "Happy Birthday Hopey! We love you." She wiped her tears away and we proceeded to cut the cake. She truly was overwhelmed by the moment.

So, like I said, our baby girl is four! We were so happy to have her home for this special occasion!

We love you, Hope! I pray you are blessed by the Maker of Heaven and Earth! I pray you come to know Him at an early age and will follow His plan for your life. I pray you will serve Him with all your heart and will KNOW in whom you have believed! I pray you will trust Him at all times and will continue to have a heart for prayer, in Jesus name, Amen!

Wow!!

2008-12-12T09:46:00.004-06:00

Has it seriously been this long since I posted? Sorry, guys! I didn't mean to leave you hangin'. It's just been so busy around here. Here's what we have experienced since I last posted....

Thanksgiving
The circus
Jordyn turned 12 (and got her own room!)
Mia began tutoring with her teacher three days a week
I went out of town with my mom and sister

This was all of course mixed in with Christmas shopping, decorating, laundry, family nights, homework, church, gymnastics, piano, and the list goes on and on. How we have kept up, I'm not sure!

I realize many on that list should be an update in and of itself, but who has time with everything going on. Here's a few pictures to prove we are still here and doing well! Unfortunately, Thanksgiving doesn't have any pictures, because though I charged my camera battery before we left, I failed to put it in the camera. Turns out, they don't work very well without the battery. Go figure!

No picture of Mia and tutoring, but she is doing great! Her teacher and I are very proud of her hard work!!

Thanks for checking in. Maybe after the Holidays, I can post an update that is a little more detailed!

Merry Christmas everyone and remember, He is still the Christ of Christmas!!

The first snow!

2008-11-21T12:55:00.003-06:00

Well surprisingly we had our first snow fall yesterday. The ground was way too warm for it to stick but the kids were so excited to see it falling!!

Jeremy says....

2008-11-20T09:11:00.004-06:00

it was a great trip! They got lots of stuff accomplished and managed to have a little R & R too! Look at that AWESOME dining hall! The tables are mounted to the wall and the floor! Thanks team, you did a great job!!

I know many are wanting to know...."Did he see Noah?" I'm sorry, but he didn't. We did find out that someone from the Orphanage has seen him though and says he is doing good. We were thrilled to hear that. We continue to trust the Lord and wait on His timing!

Jeremy was able to spend some time with Mia and Hope's birth-mom and brothers. They are doing well and we are excited that the boys will now be attending Three Angels Christian Academy!! Neither of them have been to school before and they are VERY excited about it, although you will never be able to tell from their pictures. What is it with Haitians not wanting to smile for pictures? Jeremy said they would be all smiles and as soon as he lifted the camera they began posing their "too cool" poses. We love these boys and I pray they grow up to be Godly men that bring about good change in the country of Haiti!

Gabby was sick when they first arrived, so Jeremy hadn't been able to see him. Thankfully, right before they left the O Allemagne walked in the gate with him. He was much better and I was so glad Jeremy was able to see him. He is such a doll and he has gotten so big over the last few months(and he's wearing an outfit we sent him back in October)!! Jeremy and I have talked so many times about the fact that if anything ever happened to Allemagne we would want the boys. They are our family and family takes care of family! We don't know if we should tell her or not, but we would take the boys in a heartbeat! We do love them all(Allemagne included)! I never expected to feel so close to her, but she is truly like a sister to me. I pray for her and the boys daily. She is an amazing woman and I hope she realizes how blessed we are because of her sacrifice!

Thank you, Allemagne! You have changed our hearts and lives! We love you!

Almost....

2008-11-13T10:12:00.002-06:00

It's almost time for him to come home! We are all ready! I miss my husband and the kids miss their daddy!

Thank you Lord for the opportunity that you have given Jeremy and I to serve in Haiti, but we also thank you for giving us each other and our wonderful family to come home to. We are grateful for all You've done in our lives! I thank you in advance for bringing my husband home safely tomorrow night!

Please join me in praying the team home!

I love you....

2008-11-10T10:41:00.002-06:00

Hope loves for us to sing this song to each other. She sings it and then I sing it. I like her version better so I have loaded it here for your enjoyment. We would like to dedicate this special song to Hope's daddy! We love you!

7 more days.....

2008-11-07T09:07:00.002-06:00

.....without my man. He's leading a trip this week. We hope he will get to see Noah as well as Allemagne, Schneider, Danny & Gabby.

I miss you already, hon. Have a great trip and we will be anxiously awaiting your arrival! Be safe! I love you!

A Camden First

2008-11-03T08:40:00.004-06:00

Camden hadn't flown yet, well....not that he remembered anyway. When I was pregnant, we flew to TX but he said that didn't count. So, he had the opportunity to fly the other day. His Grandpa is learning to fly and asked if Camden wanted to go with him. Hindsight....should I send my child up with a student pilot, maybe not. ; ) However, he had a great time and was really excited to finally say he had flown. Besides, Grandpa wouldn't do anything to hurt Camden, right? Minus the wrestling of course. ; )

What matters to you?

2008-10-28T07:42:00.003-05:00

www.wallbuilders.com

I know there's so much talk right now about the economy and how this election will effect it, but as Christians we need to think about what matters to us. My Bible says, "My God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus." I don't look to my President to make my finances better, I look to my God! I do, however, know that the Word also says, "When the righteous are in authority; the people rejoice." I'm not saying that either of these candidates are righteous or not, but I am saying before you vote, make sure you know what you are voting for!

I realize there are other candidates out there, but let's face it....it will come down to one of these.

As promised...

2008-10-21T09:52:00.006-05:00

As I said, our life has had many changes lately. Obviously, the girls came home. Then we decided to walk away from our partnership and Jeremy went to work for Frontier Kemper. After that, we decided to put the kids back in a traditional school environment. Needless to say, this has been quite a whirl wind, but we are all doing great!

Here's a few pictures for your enjoyment.

First day for Ali, Camden & Mia! They were really excited.
Mia got a little nervous, but she loved it!

Camden had homework on the first day. Welcome to school, buddy!

Mia, well, apparently first grade is hard work. It's a good thing she didn't have homework!

Can you tell Ali was a little happy being back in school? She came home stating she made 6 new friends.

Hope misses the kids, but she is settling in nicely to the idea of having me
all to herself for several hours.

Jordyn started school on Monday, returning to the Christian school she went to for K-3. She was pretty excited to be back with her friends. She had a great day!

Her first day happened to be "Crazy Hat Day" for the others. Ali wasn't quite ready to be "crazy" so she sported my "Forgiven" hat. She looks WAY better in it than I do. I hope everyone read it!

As for me, I'm trying to catch up on laundry, cleaning, and sorting through 5 kids worth of summer clothes as we prepare to pack them away and bring out the fall/winter supply. I hope to get to mine and Jeremy's soon, so I can stop dropping off at the bus in my bikini.
Sorry, no pictures! ; )

still here.....

2008-10-16T11:10:00.003-05:00

Just a quick note to say, "We are still here!" Sorry it's been so long since I posted last. I have lots of changes to tell you about, but time just doesn't allow. I hope to post soon! I hope you haven't given up on us!

Here's a couple of pictures to show how far Hope has come with Daisy. She used to just scream when Daisy was in the room. Now she does this......

She also said the other day, "I need a big doggy." My how far we've come!

Time flies....

2008-09-29T08:25:00.002-05:00

We have been home from Haiti for almost 3 months now. It is crazy how time flies! I'm amazed at the transition the girls, and our whole family, has gone through in that time. I had always prayed for a smooth transition. I prayed that the Lord would prepare all of our hearts for the arrival of our children. I prayed and He has answered!! Although I had prayed for all of this, I still expected a few issues. Who wouldn't expect some issues when bringing two children into your home? In all honesty, I thought it would be harder than it has been. Praise God for answered prayers! He has given us strength and joy! He is so faithful to us!

Don't get me wrong, we are CRAZY busy!! ; ) It is just as I said prior to them coming home, "glorious chaos". I have more work now than ever and I rarely have a moment to sit, but I wouldn't change a thing. I force myself to sit at the computer occasionally to check e-mails and obviously post an update. I do more laundry than imaginable, but I'm reminded of the blessings who wear all those clothes. I cook; I clean; I teach; I read; I pray; I kiss; I wake up and do it all again, and I wouldn't change a thing. Oh, maybe I would hire a maid, but other than that, I wouldn't change a thing. ; )

The other day we went to Pump it Up, a local inflatable play land. The kids had a "Back to School" party with their friends from church. I'm not sure if you can tell from the pictures, but they kind of had a good time.

Race day better than ever....

2008-09-21T18:28:00.006-05:00

Well, I didn't run.

Before you think, "WHAT!?!? All that talk and no action?!?!" let me explain.

On Wednesday evening I received a call from my mom and she had decided to join me in the race. She had just registered and would drive down Sunday morning. Knowing we would be walking, I asked Jordyn if she would like to join us. So, this morning at 7:00am we set out for our Race for the Cure. Three generations of girls joining the efforts to raise awareness and the finances needed to find a cure for breast cancer.

The morning began with the Parade of Survivors! It was such an amazing sight to see 1100 survivors from less than one year to over thirty years cancer free! I'm sure I'll never truly understand the feeling they had as they marched along knowing there are many women unable to join them; women who, unfortunately, lost their battle. We were overwhelmed with emotion as Mom walked by in celebration of the life she has!

We also were able to walk in celebration of Jeremy's grandma who had a fight of her own against breast cancer and won. Grandma Butus, we all thought of you today too!!

So, I didn't run, but I have to admit that race day was better than ever! It would not have been the same without Mom and Jordy there. Yes, I would have run. I would have burned more calories. I would have walked away with a nice time to celebrate, but today I walked away with my mom and my daughter by my side, celebrating the simple fact that we were alive and well.

Missing a few things......

2008-09-19T08:02:00.005-05:00

I love having my girls home, but I must admit I am missing a few things. One, actually, but in that one...so many others.

Like times like this....

And most definitely times like this....

This face....

And these little toes....

I miss doing simple things like this...

And seeing silly things like this....

Oh, and how I miss that smile....

Noah,

I miss you from the top of my head to the soles of my feet. You are missed by every member of our family. We long for you and pray for you; we remember all the funny things you did. We think of your laugh, your smile, your voice, the funny sound you made when you would chew your food, and even your fits. We search for the strength in the Lord to go through each day without you and Noah, our God is faithful. He brings us joy in the midst of our pain.

If there was a way to tell you in this moment how much we love you, I would. I would tell you about all the amazing moments the Lord gave us together, and how in each of those moments He would confirm time and time again that you were our son. Noah, I think it's important for you to know that we have never and will never give up hope that you are going to come home to us. We are just as sure today as we were in September of 2005 that you are indeed our son.

We praise God for you, and we continue to trust in our faithful God to bring you home to us.

I love you, son, with all that is within me,
Mommy

In Honor of My Mama!

2008-09-04T15:04:00.005-05:00

On September 21, 2008, I will be running a race in honor of my amazing Mama! It's only a 5K which doesn't even come close to being hard in comparison to what she endured. Thankfully, her diagnoses was great and after treatment she was cancer free!! We thank God for giving the doctors the wisdom and knowledge to treat this horrible disease. We rejoice in the fact that she went to a doctor that used a special type of mammogram that would see the spot. We were told an ordinary mammogram wouldn't have shown it and it would have had more time to grow before being detected. We praise God for this!! The Lord has been so good to us!

I've decided to run this race and try to raise awareness and money, so there can be more daughters with stories like mine. Daughters who will be able to say, "My mom is a breast cancer survivor!" I love you, Mom, and on Sunday, September 21 @ 9:00am I'll be running for you!

Click here to help!

1 down, 179 more to go......

2008-09-02T14:47:00.004-05:00

Not that I'm counting down or anything. ; ) Today was our first day of school. The bell rang at 8:00 and in they came so excited to begin their first day. They had all been sitting outside the classroom for half an hour waiting for me to be ready. I don't imagine that will happen everyday, but it was great to see them so excited to get started. Here's a few pictures we thought we would share from our first day!

This was actually taken last night. Hope was pretty happy to finally have her own desk! Not sure if you could tell that or not. ; )

Camden, bright and early this morning, sorting through his supplies. As you can tell, it's a very serious job!

Check it out, I happened to catch a moment when they were all working on something!!

Jordyn hard at work! It's hard to believe my baby is in middle school! Where does the time go?

Here's Alexis sporting her comfy capris, pink tank and brown jacket.
Dressed for success? For sure!! Fourth grade looks great on you, Ali!

Mia was pretty excited the entire day. As you can see from the blur of the pencil, she was definitely all about doing the work! When we were finished she asked if she could stay at her desk and color for a little bit. How long do you think it will take for her to not want to stay in school longer than she has to?

All in all, it was great day!!

You might remember....

2008-08-26T21:00:00.003-05:00

....a little while ago I posted about a site my husband, Jeremy, had created. It was our desire to provide a site that would provide as much information as possible to help people like us with their adoption process. When we began our process, it started with a good year of research. If we could provide most of that information in one site, we felt that would be a blessing to many, and, hopefully, it would encourage more families to adopt.

In my husband's typical humble fashion, he deleted my post. He didn't want the attention brought to him, but I was proud of all the work he had put into it. So, I have asked if I could post about it again. Finally, he has agreed. We do not want any focus to be on us, but would love for you to take a look and pass on what we believe to be a great resource for international adoption.

While Jordy was away.....

2008-08-18T22:16:00.006-05:00

As some of you know, our oldest daughter, Jordyn, was in Florida with a friend for a week. Well, while she was away the fun times didn't stop. I will say, though, that everyone cried when she left and we were jumping for joy upon her return.

We had fun, Jordy, but it still wasn't the same without you.

The Collins came over for a play day before school started. The kids had so much fun. Steven and Camden played really well together(sorry boys I didn't get a picture). As you can see, you can take the kids out of Haiti but you can't take Haiti out of the kids. ; ) They had a blast teaching Alexis how to wash clothes.

Madelyn went on a small adventure, but quickly decided it wasn't as fun as she anticipated.

Alexis and Mia got to have a girls' night out with Aunt Linda. I took their picture before they left for the CD signing of Mission 6. Such beautiful sisters aren't they? As you can see, I relaxed Mia's hair. I had no idea it would be so straight, but it is darling on her and she loves it!!

Hope is our little comic. She is always cracking us up with something she says or does. At the same time, she is just so beautiful. She is the queen at Crenglish right now. Things like...."M' pa cry" and "I'm grangou."
We are still picking. Hope LOVES to pick green beans, but doesn't LOVE eating them so much. We have picked grapes, made grape juice & jam, we picked apples and are planning to make apple butter, appie pies, and maybe stewed apples. I have 3 apple trees and they are loaded, so if you can make it with apples we are going to try. ; )

Jordyn was home, obviously, for this last shot. Fortunately, she made it in time for the apple picking or we would have never been able to reach those good ones. You know the ones that are higher than 4 feet. ; )

My Helpers!

2008-08-12T14:01:00.002-05:00

Ali and Mia are my garden helpers. Occasionally they come in with the latest find! This was what they brought me a couple of weeks ago. They were so proud. We made some fabulous Zucchini Bread and it was a HUGE hit!
Hope helped me pick and break green beans the other night, but I didn't get any pictures. Other than the ends getting thrown in the bowl, she was a big helper! Camden helped a little too. I'm not sure what I would do without all my helpers! Thankfully my big helper, Jordyn, will be home from Florida tonight! We are all very excited around here awaiting her return!!

Have you ever watched 'RV'?

2008-08-07T11:07:00.009-05:00

We took a weekend camping trip with my family. We are not campers, we as in Jeremy. ; ) I love to camp, him, not so much. He agreed because he knew I wanted to. I don't really know that you could call it camping. We borrowed an RV with ac and 3 televisions. Yep, you guessed it, we were really roughin' it. Here's a few pictures from our adventure.

Looks like a pro, huh?

Camden loved the front seat!

So much to see, so little time.

Meemaw and Camden skipping rocks.

Loren & Jordyn...a little too cool for playing in the water. ; )Ali surprised me! She was all about playing in that muddy water. Turns out Princesses really do like to play in lakes.

Camden and Haigen horse racing! I'm not sure who won.

Meemaw watching her babies play!
Papaw Doug found a little peace and quiet. Not sure how with 7 grandkids running around.
It's ok Rich, I think Mom can get it!Everyone loved the day on the boat! Well, Hope's a little nervous, but she ended up loving it.

Mia & Daddy tubin'!

Mommy & Hope jump in for a swim. Hope was happy as long as she was being held.

Uncle Richie watching the tubin' action.

T.T. & Ali showing off their tubin' tricks!

Uncle Brent looking for the perfect place to throw the tube in.

Mommy & Jordy comin in from tubin. We had a blast!

Hold on!!

It was a great weekend! As we were leaving Hope said, "Bye camping!" Mia is convinced we should do it again. Daddy, well, he's not so convinced!

Did you say busy???

2008-08-06T09:44:00.002-05:00

Life is so busy these days. I promise to post more soon, but just haven't had the time.

We were blessed with a WONDERFUL visit with my friend, Angela (YouYou). She was here for almost two weeks and we loved having her. When she left, Mia said, "it's ok Mom. she'll be back." Thanks for coming and staying with us, guys! We miss you both!!

Looking back 2......

2008-07-24T09:10:00.003-05:00

I know I mentioned the time spent with Mia and Hope's birth mom and brothers. I would not trade those days for the moon! Sometimes Allemagne and I would sit for hours just watching the children play. Not having words that either one of us could understand, but knowing a love that shattered all barriers, we would sit and watch our daughters play, both smiling, both laughing, both loving.

I have so much respect for Allemagne. She truly wants what is best for her children. She loves them and though it was breaking her heart she continued to thank me for taking the girls. She told me I was their mother now and that she would pray for them, me, Jeremy and my other children too. I promised her that I would always pray for her and the girls would ALWAYS know who she was and what she did for them.

Schneider & Jovannie were amazing boys. When Jeremy was there, at first, they would offer their hand in a greeting. Jeremy would shake their hand and then pull them into a big hug which always brought the biggest smile followed by a simple, "Mesi." By the end of his stay, they would just go straight for the hug. The morning I was leaving with the girls, they were both crying. Schneider tried to hide his more as he is the man of the house, even though he is only eleven years old. He would quickly wipe his tears and act as if all was well. Jovannie being the younger of the two displayed his feelings more. He asked if I wouldn't be coming back. I assured him I would. I told him we would see each other again. Before I got in the car he came running for one more big hug and with tears in his eyes watched us drive away.

Then there's Gabby! Sweet Gabby. What a good baby he is! He would sit out front with his Mama for hours and we rarely saw or heard him cry, only if he was hungry. For those days that was completely fixable. Allemagne asked us if we would adopt him too. It was so hard, knowing their situation, to not say yes. If I could have fit him in my backpack, I would have done it in a second. To be completely honest, we would have taken all three boys if it would have been possible. Unfortunately, it's not that simple.

I could go on and on, but I will stop for now. To make a long post a little shorter, I'll just end by saying....Allemagne, Schneider, Jovannie, and Gabby, we love and miss you so much. We pray for you everyday and look forward to being with again. To everyone else....thank you for taking the time to learn about our extended family.

Splash Park Fun!

2008-07-22T13:10:00.005-05:00

Last week I met my sister, brother, nephew and niece at the splash park. The kids had so much fun!! Sorry I haven't posted much but it's been busy as I'm sure you can imagine. Thanks for being so patient!

Looking back.....

2008-07-15T11:06:00.003-05:00

I'm going to take a few posts to fill you in on the smaller details of my stay and coming home. These pictures are from our departure in Haiti.

It was harder leaving than I ever dreamed it would be. The girls' birth mom and brothers had been visiting off and on during my stay and we became very close. The boys were amazing and the love of this mother was so evident. The last night there they spent the night and we, Allemagne and I, worked together to get the girls dressed and ready to go in the morning. We all cried as we left and I was unsure of how the rest of the day would go. Mia cried off and on all day, but as you can see from the pictures she was at the same time excited about the idea of going 'home'.

They did great on the plane. Mia LOVES the window seat and Hope LOVES my lap. ; ) Fortunately, we were blessed with a great flight attendant leaving Haiti. He is a christian and his parents are missionaries. He was great with the girls and allowed me to sit and hold Hope even though she was past the age of a lap child. Mia kept asking me if the plane was going to fall, but upon my reassurance she felt secure that we would stay in the air.

The long flight from Miami to Chicago they slept, almost the entire flight. Hope woke up just in time for the landing and Mia slept through it. We were delayed in Chicago (shocking, I know), but eventually headed to Evansville at 9:30pm. Mia slept again during this short flight, but woke up quickly when she realized we were finally in Evansville. I said, "Mia we're here. We are home." As we walked in the airport she said, "Where is my room?" Ok, so we're not ACTUALLY 'home' but almost. : )

It was a great day that I will NEVER forget! Thank you Lord for bringing my girls home!

Fun Times

2008-07-11T10:50:00.003-05:00

Pictures are better than words, right? Here's a glimpse into our first day yesterday and a few happenings of this morning!

Swimming fun!

Jordyn & Hope!

Camden & Mia!

Ali & Hope!

Silly faces!

Haigen (Cousin), Ali, Hope, Jordyn, Mia & Camden making silly faces!

Bee time!
We found a bunch of honey bees in our grapes so my Step-Dad came to collect them.

Papaw Doug (nice outfit)

Daddy & Mia watch from a safe distance.

Morning help!
Camden decided to help with the morning dishes!

Dress up time!!

Ali!

Hope!Mia!

They are all at church now! ; ) Apparently, we sing the ABC song at church right along with Jesus loves me, Joy in my heart, & This is the day! Jordyn and I are enjoying the music! Church is over. Here they come! Camden is complete with his cell phone and bible and Ali took her pack-n-play. The report is in and everyone sang but Camden. I love getting the play by play!

We're home!!!

2008-07-10T10:22:00.005-05:00

I just want to take about 2 seconds to give a quick update. The girls are doing GREAT!!! It was rough leaving. We all had tears, but the closer we got to home the happier they were. I know we will still grieve but they are happily playing with their siblings! Here's a couple of pictures from the "party" as Camden called it.

The experience was completely wonderful! I was shaking as we walked through the gate and saw so many friends and family there to greet us! Thank you to all who prayed for us and thanks to those who stayed out so late to wait for our delayed and delayed and delayed plane!

Some know, some don't......

2008-07-08T10:59:00.006-05:00

I feel it is time to share something with all of you. Some of you already know, but some do not. In October of last year, Noah's parents picked him up from the Orphanage. They wanted to try to care for him again. Since that day we have prayed and believed our son would be back and hoped and trusted it would be before we left with the girls. The Lord has different timing than we do. We don't know or understand why things have happened the way they have, but we do know a few things.

First, we know that the Lord led us to Noah. He was the first of all the children that are coming to our area. We believe and KNOW that He who called us is faithful and He will do it. We know He will complete what He began! We trust in our Lord, our strong deliverer!

Second, we know the Lord has been working during my time here. After months and months of searching for Noah's birth mom, we saw her one night on the way to dinner. It was a divine appointment. We were running late, needed gas, went a different route and in a city of sooooo many people we saw the one person we needed to see. It was not a coincidence! There she stood on a mound of rocks. We knew the Lord was working. We have had the opportunity since then to speak with her and she has decided that she does indeed want Noah to be adopted, but unfortunately it hasn't worked out yet for him to be brought back. He is currently with a relative in the country-side. His father also wants him to go with us, but again it just hasn't worked out as of today. We know, however, that our God is working and the mountains we saw before us are crumbling!

Third, today at the appointment I was a little nervous about the fact that Noah was not with us. I shared the situation with the Consular and they are keeping his file open! Praise the Lord!!!

So, although it is painful to come home and have to leave our son behind, we KNOW that he is our son and he will come home to us. Please join us in believing that our mighty and awesome God will bring Noah home!

Having explained that, I am pleased to inform you that I am to pick up visas for our two beautiful girls this afternoon and we are planning to fly out in the morning!! Our Lord is faithful!! He is so worthy to be praised!! Please rejoice with us as we take this step next step in becoming the Cundiffs, party of eight!

Guess what!

2008-07-07T21:12:00.002-05:00

We have an appointment at 7:30am tomorrow morning! I didn't go today but made a couple of phone calls to talk to them instead. Then our Parent Liaison had to go to the Embassy anyway so I asked him to check on it. I received my e-mail this evening and our appointment is set!

Meditating both day and night!

2008-07-06T11:03:00.002-05:00

Jeremiah 29:11-14a

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity."

I Samuel 1:10-18

"And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord and wept in anguish........And it happened as she continued praying before the Lord,......Then Eli answered and said, 'Go in peace, and the God of Israel grant your petition which you have asked of Him'.....So the woman went her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad."

Psalm 126

"When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, we were like those who dream. Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing. Then they said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them.' The Lord has done great things for us, whereof we are glad. Bring back our captivity, O Lord, as streams in the South. Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him."

Thanks again to everyone who continues to lift us up in prayer and encourage us! We are forever grateful!!

Nothing to report...

2008-07-04T21:01:00.003-05:00

It seems silly to post because I really have nothing to report. The Embassy was obviously closed today, so no progress possible. I am going to go there on Monday and see what I can find out since I am not getting any response via e-mails. I hope to leave with an appointment scheduled!
The kids are still excited that it is almost time to go home! Mia seems to have moments of doubt and is somewhat guarded. Sort of the whole, I'm not going to get too close because you might have to leave again without me. I keep telling her I'm not leaving without her, but I'm sure it's hard to believe since I have been here a while and nothing seems to be moving. She is old enough to understand that. I continue to reassure her that it will be soon!

I have been able to talk to Jeremy everyday, which I love. I talked to the kids a couple of times on Skype. Then today I was blessed with a phone call from my AMAZING Momma! I also spoke to my sister and brother! I miss them all so much!!! Today, being the 4th of July, I would normally be with them. Every year we have a big family picnic and have so much fun! Jeremy took the kids and my sister reported that they had lots of fun! I cried as I talked to each one of them, but it was at the same time wonderful to hear their voices! I hope to see them very soon! They promised we would have another celebration just as if it were Independence Day, complete with fireworks after we all come home! I can't wait!!

I guess that's enough rambling for now. I pray you all had a wonderful day and I'll leave you with a big HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY from Haiti!

A couple of things....

2008-07-01T09:28:00.003-05:00

First, Jeremy went home yesterday and thanks to Skype I was able to talk to him and the kids last night! It was so great! They are doing so well! They are so excited and anticipating my return with their siblings! This is what they have prayed for over the course of nearly 3 years. We are all overjoyed at the soon coming answer to our prayers.

An anonymous comment was posted yesterday questioning my being here. Suggesting that I have disrupted by family by coming. I began to post about why I came, and then I realized that I don't need to explain. Jeremy and I have always striven to make decisions based on information available and prayer. We always strive to make decisions that are in the best interest of our family. Not just our family in the US, but our entire family. We are separated by distance, but not by love. We have six children and we are forced at times to make decisions that are difficult because of the distance between us. We don't expect anyone else to understand those decisions, but I do ask that they be respected.

I hope to post some good news very soon! Thank you to all who have held us up in prayer and offered so many encouraging words! You will never know this side of heaven how much it has meant to us!

Well......

2008-06-25T20:51:00.002-05:00

Not much to say as of today. Still no word from the Embassy. Just praying and trusting in the Lord's timing of it all!

I miss my other three children something fierce! Thanks to our amazing family, I know they are fine and having loads of fun without us! If you read this guys, I love you and miss you so much!! I'm sorry! I know I told you I wouldn't be gone as long this time, but here I am and it's now been two weeks!! Keep praying! The Lord is faithful!! He will bring us home!! Soon and very soon we will all be together, once and for all!

Jeremy is probably going to go ahead home this weekend. Please pray for us as we do not like being apart! It has been wonderful having him here with us! I miss him already and he hasn't left yet. ; )

Thanks to all of you who have been praying, believing, hoping, reading, trusting,...right along with us! We truly appreciate each and every one of you!

Sorry it's been so long!

2008-06-21T20:00:00.002-05:00

Well, as I'm sure you figured we are still in Haiti. We have received the news that we are ready for a visa appt but no appt has been scheduled as of yet. Hopefully, we will receive it next week! We are having a great time with the kids while we wait! Jeremy flew in last Tuesday and the kids are really enjoying having their Papa here too! We plan to check in with the Embassy yet again on Monday. Thank you all for your continued prayers! The Lord is faithful and we are seeing His hand at work!!

Bon Fet, Noah!!

2008-06-18T08:46:00.001-05:00

We love you! The next one will be celebrated in Evansville, IN!!

Approvals

2008-06-16T22:03:00.003-05:00

We received final approval today for the kids' visas!!!! We are so excited around here!! We hope to know the date of our visa appointment tomorrow!! Thank you for all of your prayers!!!!

Happy Father's Day!!

2008-06-15T14:46:00.001-05:00

Happy Father's Day to the best daddy and friend I know! You bring me such joy! I love you!

Busy Busy Busy

2008-06-14T15:06:00.003-05:00

Thanks to Sandy, I can post these arrival pictures! She e-mailed the ones she took when I arrived. No laughing please! ; )

It was a busy day today! We got up nice and early, as usual, and had pancakes for breakfast. The kids had church, we had cake for two little girls' birthdays, then the fun of the day.....we had three inflatable pools and threw a pool party! I wanted to post pictures but realized I forgot my cable to load them on the computer so I'll have to share pictures when I get back. They had soooooo much fun!! I can't wait to show you pictures.

Tomorrow we will go to church and then we are going to have pool time for the older nursery kids! I'm sure they are going to LOVE it!

Thank you all for continuing to pray for us. We hope to be home next week!

Quick Update

2008-06-13T06:54:00.001-05:00

I'm here and doing well! The kids are so excited about going home! They ask every little bit if when the visa is finish do they get to go. I respond YES, and they give a HUGE smile!! I hope to post some pictures tonight! Thank you for continuing to pray for us!

Apparently it's time!

2008-06-10T10:55:00.004-05:00

Update: I'm leaving today! I'm flying on frequent flyer miles so this was my option. I'll try to post updates as I have them! Thank you to all who are praying!!

I am excited to tell you that I will be in Haiti by Monday! We are expecting to have our visa appointment next week! So, I'm checking flights and will be leaving very soon!! Please pray for me to be able to get the flights I need as well as for things to continue to move along as they have been! God is so good and so faithful! We are overwhelmed by His grace that continues to be so sufficient! Our God is an awesome God!!

Pictures

2008-06-05T20:28:00.004-05:00

What a blessing!

"Yeah, I'm cute! I know it!!

"Excuse me, but has anyone seen the large ribbons for my hair?
These small ones just aren't going to cut it!!"

Finally Finished!!

2008-06-04T12:01:00.004-05:00

Many of you may remember this post of the boys' room. Yes, it's been done for a while. We finished their shelves and they have different bedding(thanks to the Mielke's), but otherwise it has been done for a while. The girls' room, though, took much longer. I had the goofy idea to make the blankets and pillows instead of buying them. I'm glad I did, but man it took forever!!! At any rate it is finished!! Their room is officially ready for them to come home!

Celebrating!

2008-06-03T12:15:00.003-05:00

We have all three passports and are waiting for our final approvals from DHS! We could possibly have those in the next few days. After that, we are on to visa appointments!! Praise the Lord for our children coming home soon!! We are hearing the Embassy may be closed next week, so we'll see, but no matter what we are one day closer!! Praise God!!

It's been busy....

2008-05-28T10:06:00.007-05:00

This is going to be one of those one line, one picture updates. So much has happened in the past two weeks that I am spinning!

First up, our last day of school!!! Hurray! We made it jammie day and it was so fun!! We are all excited about being out of school for the summer.

So, that was on Friday, May 16th. On Saturday, May 17th we decided we would drive to Jeremy's dad house near Houston, TX. We left on May 18th and arrived on May 19th.
That was a crazy 4 days!

Jeremy had work to do, so we played in the pool!

Finally, his work was finished and we took our traditional trip to the Ice Cream Parlor in Galveston!

We drove home on Friday, driving straight through and arriving home at 2:00am. We worked in the yard all day and then off to see Elias since he was in Evansville for the weekend. I took my camera but was too busy laughing to take any pictures.

Sunday was church and then our youth group came over for a bonfire. They are a great group of kids! Love you guys!

As you know we got news of Hope's passport so we knew when we got home there was lots of work to do. We made a list during our drive of everything we wanted to do before the kids come home. So our Memorial Day was spent running errands, buying paint, and praying it would quit raining so we could work in the yard again. No such luck on the rain, but all the supplies were purchased to finish up the projects that have been hanging over our heads.

Tuesday became a work day full of painting and pillow making. My wonderful Mom and Mother-in-law came over and made pillows while I painted. They were awesome!
Thank you so much!

Thanks to the pillows and curtains that were created the girls' room is finally nearing completion. I'll post pictures of it after I finish putting it all together today!!

So there you have it. I would love to lay around all day, but apparently our kids are coming home soon, so all those things I've been saying I need to do before they get home....I'm actually going to have to do them now. Pray for me, the list is still somewhat long. :)

One down, two to go.....

2008-05-24T13:25:00.003-05:00

Hey blogland! I wanted to let you know that on Thursday morning I received word that Hope had her passport!! We were on cloud nine all day!! So, one down and two to go. Once we have all three I will look at making my arrangements to fly down for the last few steps! Now we are in "kick it in gear" mode. Trying, like mad, to get things done around here so when they are home we can just enjoy for a little while. It's so surreal right now to think that we are actually sooooo close to bringing them home. The Lord is so faithful!! We rejoice in the work of His hands!

Out again....

2008-05-17T20:01:00.001-05:00

Well, I believe this time it is for real! We are out of MOI with authorizations for passports! Praise God!! We are assuming they will go to Immigration on Monday! Hallelujah!

My Baby Girl

2008-05-15T22:46:00.002-05:00

I love this picture of my baby girl. I know you can't see her face, but she and I spent lots of time working puzzles and laughing together. This picture takes me back. Soon, baby girl, you will be here working puzzles with your Manman. I just happen to LOVE working them too!

Correction.....

2008-05-09T21:43:00.003-05:00

Apparently there was some misinformation and we are not quite in Immigration yet.

Praying for good news soon!

Psalm 27:13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed
that I would see the goodness of the LORD
in the land of the living.

I believe!!

Out of MOI!!!!!

2008-05-06T14:20:00.003-05:00

We just found out that we are out of MOI and in Immigration for the printing of the passports! We are so excited! We're praying this step goes quickly and we have three beautiful passports in hand very soon!!

Reaching the End

2008-05-04T20:47:00.003-05:00

Ok, just to get rid of the "feel sorry for me because I cut myself post" : ) I thought I would let you know there isn't a whole lot of news yet. The attorney was hopeful we would be out of MOI last Friday but it didn't happen just yet. We are hopeful (and she is too) that we will be out sometime this week. Our parent liaison is in Haiti this week so hopefully we will have some good news soon!

For those of you that aren't in an adoption or don't know how these things work, this is what is left.....

Exit MOI

Off to immigration for printing of Passports

Take Passports to DHS for final approval of I-600 (Orphan Investigations have already been completed and all three were declared orphans by US standards)

Medical Exam

Visa Appointment

Fly Home with our children!!

We are finally reaching the end here people. It is getting so close and we are beyond excited about the idea of bringing our kids home! Please continue to pray with us that these final steps will go smoothly and we will finally have our family complete!

I wanted to share a scripture that the Lord gave me when I was in Haiti. I think we all go through moments of, "Lord, please bring my children home!" I kept "hearing" Isaiah 43, so I turned there and here is what I read......

5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;
6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—

I thank God for His faithfulness to His Word!

If I could turn back time......

2008-04-29T08:57:00.003-05:00

I would have wore a glove.

Sorry, I couldn't resist posting my most recent adventure. Turns out Exact-O knives are quite sharp. Excellent for slicing fingers and severing nerves. : )

I.......

2008-04-28T08:58:00.004-05:00

Thanks Angela!

i am: first a child of God, second a wife, third a mother, and fourth a missions committee leader.
i think: I am so blessed with an amazing husband and six wonderful children!
i know: in whom I have belief!
i want: my children home.
i have: more than I could need.
i wish: there were more hours in the day, and that I lived in a warmer climate.
i hate: poverty, sickness, strife, sin,.......
i miss: Mia, Noah & Hope
i fear: nothing but the Lord (Psalm 34)
i feel: at peace.
i hear: Camden and Ali playing with Daisy.
i smell: coffee, wonderful coffee.
i crave: sweets, and did I mention coffee.
i search: for ways to run a better house, though seem to fail miserably.
i wonder: when I will grow up.
i regret: many things from my life BC, but don't dwell there.
i love: my Lord, my family, my friends, my church, my country, my home away from home
i ache: to hold all of my children at the same time and I think that is why God gave me such big thighs, so they will all fit. Oh wait, maybe that was the sweets and not God that made them so big. Shootamaroo!
i care: deeply for the children and staff of Three Angels!
i always: cry when I leave Haiti.
i am not: as disciplined as I should be.
i believe: I will see Mia, Noah and Hope in our home soon!
i dance: well....
i sing: always.
i cry: when I think about how good God has been to me.
i don't always: keep my priorities in line.
i fight: the urge to do things my way, not God's.
i write: when I need to.
i never: skydive.
i listen: to praise and worship music all the time.
i need: to lose some weight.
i am happy about: the life God has given me.

I'm not going to pass this on to anyone specifically, because I haven't kept up with who has already done it. So, I guess I'll leave it with.....if you haven't done this yet, now it's your turn.