The Love You Have Shown.

I could never have imagined the love and encouragement you have shown.  And you know who you are.  My family saw them as their own immediately with Mackenzie crying and Aisha writing me a letter as soon as she saw their faces.  My dad keeps writing me text messages.  My Mom and Steve have our boys on their refrigerator (My mom said, "All my grand babies are on the fridge.")  Yes, I said our boys.  We were blessed with twin boys.  I cannot even explain in words how precious and beautiful they both are.  They are Sebastian's age so we now call them the triplets.

Danny constantly shows me triplet bunk beds or two sets of double bunk beds.  I have to remind him the boys will be in cribs until at least 3 years.  I need all the containment help I can get at first.  Can you imagine his excitement?  Two more boys.  And if he asks one more time when we can go and get them!  I keep saying I am not in control, Geesh. 

When I called my best friends, they all acted as if they were bringing them home too.  Tears, rushing over to see their pictures, I seriously could not have asked for more love.  A friend of mine had her daughter in the hospital on Thursday and still wanted to talk about our boys.  I saw a precious face at the grocery store who ran up and jumped for joy with her daughter.  I just got a card in the mail. Seriously?  I just smile thinking about how wonderful you all are.  I smile thinking about how amazing you are for celebrating our family.  And I mean our boys, God's boys, and your boys, as you have been such a powerful part of this process. 

*As with any referral or with adoption in general, our boys are not legally ours until they have been given our last name and paperwork has been finalized.  We feel so blessed to be a part of their lives now...and will continue to celebrate until they are home.  That will be when the real celebration begins...

Our Blessings.

Our Blessings or our referrals are out of this world. 

They are much more than I ever thought I was worthy of getting.  I just finished thanking God for everything He blessed us with.  And then a blessing so unbelievable. 

When I saw their faces I immediately smiled and held my hand to my chest.

While I am so very happy to be their mother, another mother had to give the ultimate sacrifice.  She will always be a huge part of who we are as a family.  Imagine her pain.  Imagine her strength.

I had a day of smiling so big my face hurt.  And then moments later mourning for their mother and father. 

I look at their picture every hour, and I whisper, "I am coming to get you soon."

I will share with you all soon exactly who will be joining our family...God's family.

News!!

We have news!

We have big news!

We have wonderful news!

We have news I thank God for, and wonder how on this earth we are quite worthy enough!

I will share this wonderful news with you tomorrow when I can process it...I promise.

KeKe and the Pumpkin Patch.

Keke visited us for two weeks.  It was the best surprise in my lifetime yet.  I thank God everyday for my sisters.  They are the best in the world.  I laugh all day with them.  Keke does so much work around my house that we she leaves I feel it big time.  She is so loving to her babies, Ceal, Cruz, and Sebastian.  She went back to Switzerland with tears from everyone.  She is a part of an amazing group there.  Ceal just looked at this picture and said, "Look Keke is not in Switzerland here."

Keke reading one of the hundreds of books Cealy wanted to read.  This one KeKe said, "Oh good one with lots of words, my favorite..."

We did a Mc Dees run with the kiddos.  Cealy had never been to the inside park and I thought she would have a blast.  She calls it, "Oh Mc. Donalds."  Her and Cruz refused to go through the tunnels.  They just sat and watched.  Maybe again next year.

Off the the pumpkin patch we go...Notice the seat are arranged differently, because Sebastian pinches Ceal.  Now he just pulls her hair...

And we ran into Ceal's best buddy, Ella!

Marm ran through the mazes with Ceal.  Best part was the adult going the wrong way...

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The Plight of the Orphan.

My passion started out wanting, hoping, praying that all the orphans in the world would find a loving family.  I saw their faces in books, meetings, or in my sleep.  I needed to help them find homes.  I saw Cealy and Sebastian in everyone of these children.  What if Cealy or Sebastian was born and no one wanted them?  What if no one wanted to love them and hold them when they were crying?  Oh, there was no doubt I had to fight for these children.

When my husband decided he too had this passion, we decided to bring our children home through adoption.  Then my focus became my children.  Selfish I became.  I wanted my children home.  I wanted God to keep them safe and healthy.  I didn't have patience.  Then I got an email that said a host of new people joined our agency from another.  "NOOOOOOO!"  is really what went through my head.  Then I had to smack myself.  "Amanda, have you lost what in life you want most for children?"  Yes, I had.

How amazing it is that more families are joining our agency.  How amazing it is that our agency is taking in all these families to help bring as many children as they can home.  I want all our children in this world to have a family that will go to the ends of the earth for them.  And so many more children will now have this.  What a blessing. 

So now while I am waiting, I can't help but smile.  I had no idea how many wonderful families wanted to bring children home this way.  I read on our forum everyday, a new family with wonderful news.  Twins coming home.  An 11 day old baby being presented to a family.  Two toddlers.  I rejoice.  I thank God.  I thank Jesus.  And I will wait.  I will wait for weeks, months, and years if it means that more children are coming home to their families. 

Being 3.

I think some may forget what it is like to be 3.  Believe me, most of my family and friends will tell you I am a strict mother.  We don't talk back in this house, and we expect a lot from our children.  However, I also remind myself daily how old Cealy is.

She is having a hard time in school.  She still cries everyday.  The other children have stopped, and understand their routine.  Ceal wants nothing to do with it.  It takes a lot for me to take her to school.  Really I would rather her stay home.  So her not liking school is difficult for everyone.

I have talked to Ceal about crying.  I was angry when I found out one day that she cried the whole 4 hours.  I will pick her up, thank you.

Cealy and I have a deal now.  If she cries in her day at school then she gets no fruit snacks.  Fruit snacks are Ceal's favorite food...her first word...her dream snack.  I have this down.  I am her mom.  I know my child.  So yes I became "crazy" today at school when I came in, and Cealy was crying in the line to go home.  I tried to get there before they lined up, but today I was 1 minute late.

A teacher that I had not met before was speaking to her like she was maybe six.  "Why are you crying, I told you your mom was coming?"  "You want me to put you in the car line?"

Now I got fired up.  The car line scares Ceal.  She is very sensitive, and does not like loud noises.  I spent all my teachers days making sure I knew my students.  Could you please get to know my daughter?

I bent down to hug Ceal and tell her she knew mommy was coming.  Then that same teacher asked her classmates?!? if she was the one who always cried?

I really wanted to just relax and let God.  I know he will take care of me and everyone else who judges others unfairly or treats someone in an unkind way.  I really wanted to.  I just couldn't.

So I made a little scene.  She is 3.  She is 3.  She is 3.  And shame on you for not loving her anyway.  She did not get her fruit snacks.  She was sad.  I was sad.  The deal was no crying.  But I will handle it, thank you.

Invisible.

Cealy loves to pretend.

Lately, she pretends she has friends over, but they are really invisible.
"Ella and I are splashing in the pool!" 
"Caroline needs chocolate milk too, Mom."-(Yes she thinks calling me mom is suitable these days.)
"Caroline can't stop laughing."
"Doc needs a snack."
"Sorry, Daddy, you have to sit somewhere else, because Caroline is sitting in that seat."
"Dry off Doc first, and then I will get out of the bath."

She even played in the basement by herself, because she took one of her invisible friends.

This is such a great phase!

Mr. Giggles

Surprise!

My little sister surprised our family from Switzerland.  I can't even tell you how happy we have all been.  She is the sweetest, most fun little thing on the planet. 

Sebastian is walking...sometimes.  It only took 14 months, but our little guy decided he could try it out.  Don't worry, he still loves for me to hold him all day.  He is the smiliest child on the planet.  I kiss him all day long, because I can't stop.  He smiles a great big smile all day.  I need this, because Ceal has decided tantrums are a good time.  She does not like school.  It breaks my heart.  I have figured out different ways to try and make it easier, and so far nothing has worked.  Today I picked her up, and the teacher told me she cried all day long.  I am not even that fun.  She is not allowed to watch tv, so we play or read books.  What can I change up?  Please help.

For my adoption loves:  Yes, you can email me anytime.  I am so sorry that my email is so hard to find on here: mannyleigh11@yahoo.com-   I will update you when we receive referrals!  No pictures will be posted here, but if you see me around, I will most definitely be carrying some!!

Working Mothers.

I love me some working mothers.  My bestest friends and sister are working mothers and I just want to hug them every chance I get.  I just want to say how much I truly respect you.  You work so hard, and still find time to love your babies with all your heart.  I meet Whitney many times after school, and I see her running around throwing a football with Aiden, and then racing Sloane up the hills...after her long day with 30 kids.  Aisha comes here after work and lets Cruz jump all over her, while trying to think what she is going to make for dinner after a l.o.n.g. day.  It is so important to be thankful for those mothers who work so hard.  Now, all mothers work very hard, but I have to own that working outside the home is harder sometimes.

I want to cry and punch my washer and dryer sometimes, because they are mean and always have laundry for me...then I have to remember that I get to do it during the day.  My girlfriend, Kristen with Drew who Ceal is obsessed with, once said, "Why do I always unload the dishwasher, then reload it, and have to start it again?"  I laughed out loud.  That is always true.  We have so many dishes the dishwasher always has a friend inside.

I remember being so upset kissing Ceal goodnight when I worked.  I was not going to see her much the next day.  I would let her stay up later, and knew I shouldn't but I felt so bad.  My sister feels bad putting Cruz in time-out.  She tells me coming home and then disciplining her baby in the two hours they get to play is just plain hard.  Courtney and I talk about that a lot.  You try so very hard to make sure they know they are loved.  It is hard being a mother period, and then adding a job intensifies the hardness.

My mom once told me she drank a cup of coffee around 5 at work.  She was ready for her next shift with her 3 daughters.  She could not be tired.  She had to do laundry, run around, play, laugh, bathe, and put to bed. 

I respect you.  I love you.  And I thank you.  All you hard working mothers.

Praying.

I find myself praying a lot.

I pray while cleaning up, getting dressed, playing with Cealy and Sebastian, or just taking time out to stop and pray.

A lot of my prayers lately have consisted of, "And you know what we really want, God, so please be the hands of those who choose our children."

And then I stopped to listen.  Which is rare, because I sure love to talk, but I am working on the whole Wise Old Owl thing.

God will choose who He wants for our family.  He will answer our prayers in His time and only He knows what is best for our family.

It sure is hard to give up control.

On another delicious note, I visited my favorite Give 1 Save 1 website and last week's family had a thank you video.  I loved them so much I of course gave them what I could and kissed them through my computer screen. (I must stop doing this bc Cealy has caught on and now kisses the screen to things thinking she is really kissing them).  Well, they thanked EVERYONE on their video individually.  Tears my friends.  Tears.