Yes, I know, I have been super slow in posting an update on Kylie's surgery. As you can imagine, it's been crazy since finally getting home.
So, let me back up just a bit. We got home a little before noon Sunday a week ago. At first, she was a little hesitant to move around, but quite quickly, you could tell she was glad to be home. It was interesting because she wouldn't smile too much as she would hold saliva in her mouth. Sometimes she'd drool it out and sometimes she would swallow all of a sudden. I think that would be pretty common with cleft surgeries.
She very quickly got tired of chocolate pudding which was her food of choice to begin with. We were just thrilled she was eating, so we'd give her whatever we could. The first few nights home weren't TOO bad, but they weren't great either. We ended up kicking Jenna out of her bed (her room is right next to Kylie's) and Steve would sleep in there and when Kylie would wake in the night, he'd give her pain medicine and antibiotics and then put her in bed with him. We did go ahead and start putting her right back into her crib at home for continuity's sake.
Friday night, I was "on" in Jenna's room and she ended up sleeping the night through until about 6:30am and then slept with me until about 7:15 in Jenna's bed. Saturday night wasn't as good...she was up at 2:30 and then slept until getting up time on Sunday in the bed with me. Since we aren't sure if it was still pain or hospital stay related, we are accommodating her. That will end soon though. Yesterday she went to the nursery at church and was pretty angry when I dropped her off, but she made it the entire time, thanks to her favorite teacher Ms. Darlene! Another step in the right direction.
By the time the weekend got here, she was her normal giggly self. We had determined her very cranky, inconsolable moods came when she was hungry. So we milked down some instant mashed potatoes and fed those to her and the girl went THROUGH some potatoes lemme tell ya! I think that's probably when we saw the sleep get better too. She's been in a fairly good mood since then.
Today was her 2 week post-op visit and we were in and out in 15 minutes. The doctor said her palate looked great and we could move on to soft foods! Soft foods would be macaroni and cheese, oatmeal, mashed potatoes, probably some well done green beans etc. We are very excited and hope this fills her tummy even more. We are on this diet for another 10 days and then it's back to normal with everything else.
We go back in 14 weeks just for a quick check up. Then, barring any unforeseen surprises or setbacks, we are done with surgeries until she's about 4 or 5 years old. By then, she'll need a nose revision (and possibly a lip revision too) since the cartilage in her nose now is just not strong enough to hold her nose up as she grows. They'll take some cartilage from elsewhere on her body and build her nose back up. Then, she'll need a bone graft into her jaw somewhere between the ages of 8 and 13, but we aren't worried about any of that. We are just thrilled that until she gets ready to start school, we should be done!
Tennessee Early Intervention started back today and she's doing so well with that. I'm fairly certain she's blown all our goals out of the water already and we aren't yet close to the 6 month eval. She was already doing speech therapy twice a week but we took a break for two weeks during her surgery and recovery period. She'll go back to see Ms. Joy tomorrow and we can already tell her speech is improving. The doctor today said to expect and "explosion". Her favorite word right now (and incidentally the most clear)??
"AMEN!" Makes me laugh. Every night we go to bed, we turn on the ipod music, brush her teeth (prior to surgery with no toothpaste), then read two books, then say our prayers, take a couple sips of water, turn off the side lamp, turn on the music and lights bug and then get in the bed and tell all her "babies" night night. Now during prayer, she'll fold her hands and at the end say "Amen!" The day before her surgery, our church had it's annual picnic and lake baptisms and after each person was baptized, everyone would clap and Kylie would say "AMEN"! Bless!!
So I guess that's it. She's doing exceptionally well except for a few sleeping and riding issues. I think the problem in the car is that we always had a snack cup full of cookies or goldfish and a drink and since she's restricted from crunchy stuff, there's not much left she can have and boy does she get cranky sometimes! Otherwise, I'm pleased to report, my girl is back!
One last thing...I had been told that we might experience a solidifying of sorts in the area of bonding during the surgery and recovery period. I think the thought is she will have us there, she will be forced to depend on us for care and she will see that we DO care for her needs. And in doing so, she will really bond to us much more during that period than prior to. I was skeptical of this theory because I really thought she had bonded to us quite well already. And then while I was holding her down for the 10 shots in the hospital, I thought she might actually go the other direction! Well, of course, she was super snugly and loving all while we were in the hospital, but still kinda cranky most of the time. Now, I find her absolutely snuggling up to us, patting our backs when we hold her (totally melts my heart) and just coming over to hug on us spontaneously. It's been wonderful to see! I know my surgeon was ultra conservative keeping us in the hospital as long as he did, but I think there were way more benefits than downsides.
That's it. I have a few other interesting topics that I'd like to share with you. I promise to blog again soon. I know it's not like me to be without words. :) Keep visiting...I hope to have something up soon!
Showing posts with label Praises. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Praises. Show all posts
9.10.2012
8.28.2012
Post Op, Day 1
I would say this is going to be quick, but you all know me better than that. A little fatigue never stopped me from being overly verbose in my blog posts.
First, let me share with you something I think is hilarious and that is Kylie right after she got her "happy juice" before she went back to surgery. It seriously makes me laugh every time I watch it (although delirium will do that to ya).
So, we finally got to our room in the PICU last night. Yes, our doctor is conservative and I think I mentioned that in an earlier post. I don't know of any other doctor that puts their children in ICU after this type of surgery. But since there was such major surgery so near to the back of her throat, he wanted to monitor her breathing.
Anyway, we moved from morphine to Tylenol with codeine for pain before leaving the recovery room last night. It was 9pm or after by the time our room was ready in the PICU and Kylie was DONE with the day. She didn't want to drink anything at all and it was a challenge to get her meds down her. I would say she slept about 3 out of every 4 hours. The first hour or hour and 1/2 she would sleep in her bed. Then I had to hold her. So while she slept as well as could be expected in the ICU, I didn't sleep but maybe 3 total hours and that is piecing them all together!
Steve showed up about 8 after dropping Jenna at school and I managed to squeeze maybe 2 broken up hours of sleep. Then I got my second wind, got dressed and felt better. The plastic surgeon came by and looked at her mouth (which yes, we traumatizing to her) and said it looked GREAT! She remained on a clear liquid diet today since she hadn't really drank anything at all. He did say her vitals were fine and no problems with her breathing, so we were released to go to a regular floor.
Steve and I took turns holding Kylie and that gave him time to grab us some lunch and switch off eating. Kylie tends to get irritable after being in the room for any length of time, so I had the bright idea of getting the iPad and turning on her favorite movie. She had just had her dose of pain medicine so I figured after 15-20 minutes she'd be out.
NOT. SO. MUCH. That gal loves Annie. She sat like this (or a variety of other ways) and watched the entire movie. As soon as it was over, they came to move us. She enjoyed being out of the room because we really couldn't go anywhere in the PICU. We got on our new floor and of course, all the new nurses taking vitals and looking at her upset her. She cried and cried and then all of a sudden fell over snoring. Guess that medicine finally got to her! She slept right up until the next dose almost.
You can't tell it here, but she's happy to have her jie jie here and Jenna was CRAZY to be able to hold her (as you can tell by the smile on her face).
Kylie has had what I'd consider to be a pretty good day all things considered. She did drink about a cup of apple juice today and that is wonderful and all the nurses were thrilled. She still has IV fluids going until they are confident she can stay hydrated on her own, but that means we are changing wet diapers every hour. So her kidneys are working just fine!
Kylie did love on her bear (thanks Mr. Will!) a lot and made some signs as well as did Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She has made her squint eyes face for a select few. So we are seeing glimpses of our girl. I hope tonight is a good night for both her and Steve. I'm going to bed now...yes, at 8:30. And I'm not feeling guilty about that AT ALL.
Thanks for your well wishes and prayers. They are being heard and answered. While you are at it, pray for the other children at Vandy Children's. So many of them are there for way worse issues than cleft palate repair. My heart breaks to think of them. So while you pray for Kylie, pray for those children and their families as well. We are fortunate.
More tomorrow...
First, let me share with you something I think is hilarious and that is Kylie right after she got her "happy juice" before she went back to surgery. It seriously makes me laugh every time I watch it (although delirium will do that to ya).
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| In the waiting room Monday. |
Steve showed up about 8 after dropping Jenna at school and I managed to squeeze maybe 2 broken up hours of sleep. Then I got my second wind, got dressed and felt better. The plastic surgeon came by and looked at her mouth (which yes, we traumatizing to her) and said it looked GREAT! She remained on a clear liquid diet today since she hadn't really drank anything at all. He did say her vitals were fine and no problems with her breathing, so we were released to go to a regular floor.
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| Her cute hospital PJs. The white pants make her look like the karate kid! |
Kylie has had what I'd consider to be a pretty good day all things considered. She did drink about a cup of apple juice today and that is wonderful and all the nurses were thrilled. She still has IV fluids going until they are confident she can stay hydrated on her own, but that means we are changing wet diapers every hour. So her kidneys are working just fine!
Kylie did love on her bear (thanks Mr. Will!) a lot and made some signs as well as did Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. She has made her squint eyes face for a select few. So we are seeing glimpses of our girl. I hope tonight is a good night for both her and Steve. I'm going to bed now...yes, at 8:30. And I'm not feeling guilty about that AT ALL.
Thanks for your well wishes and prayers. They are being heard and answered. While you are at it, pray for the other children at Vandy Children's. So many of them are there for way worse issues than cleft palate repair. My heart breaks to think of them. So while you pray for Kylie, pray for those children and their families as well. We are fortunate.
More tomorrow...
7.27.2012
Do I?
It's been a rough week here at the Taylor household. At the risk of sounding like I'm complaining about my little problems when there are those out there struggling with way worse things, I'll make it quick (or not).
Before that, let me give you a little background...when we brought Kylie home, the only place she would sleep was ON us. Those were some dark days trying to figure out what would work. You'd think sleeping on the couch or in a recliner with her would have come to our minds pretty quickly, but no, not so much. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, we started taking turns sleeping downstairs with her on us while the other slept peacefully and quietly in the upstairs bedroom.
After a while of that, we moved her to the pack n play in the living room while we alternated sleeping on the couch. As she acclimated to that, we moved the pack n play to our bedroom. That was fine, but boy it was hard to get up in the morning and tiptoe around. I use the bathroom during the night pretty frequently and I was always afraid of waking her up.
It wasn't too long before we moved her to her crib in her room and took turns sleeping on the portable mattress on the floor in her room. Finally, after seriously what seemed like forever, we were back in the bed together and Kylie sleeping in the crib in her room. She would still awaken multiple times a night, crying out. We took turns going to her bedroom, patting her for maybe 30 seconds to a minute and she'd ease off back to sleep. These times because less and less until we were getting up maybe once or twice a night and for about 30 seconds and that was it. By this time, I was back to work, so Steve would take the weekday night shift and I'd take the weekend night shift.
Then she started sleeping through the night and might cry out briefly once or twice, but we wouldn't have to get up and go to her anymore. That progressed into sleeping without making a noise. Then, miracle of all miracles, she started sleeping until like 9 or 10am and taking 2-3 hour naps. GLORY! And yes, I thought something was wrong. :) That slowly wore off (growth spurt over) and she began waking earlier and earlier in the morning. The last 3 days she has been up multiple times a night, not just crying out, but crying, standing in her crib and having to be removed, held and rocked for 20-30 minutes before going back to sleep.
We've tried everything we know to do to get her back to sleeping decently again and nothing has worked. And quite frankly, even though we have come miles from those first days and weeks home, we are OVER IT. We are exhausted. Steve mainly because he's the one taking the brunt of it. But of course, I lay awake while he's with her, trying desperately to put her back to bed without her screaming, and feel guilty that I have to get up and work the next day. We've really been struggling this week.
Today, on my way to work, I was thinking about why this is happening. I do feel like my church, collectively and individually, has been under spiritual attack. So many young, hurting families. Senseless things they are having to face and go through. And while I'm thankful and blessed both my girls and husband are not in the hospital fighting for their very lives, this is OUR battle and it's hard.
And we have prayed harder than ever before. Not just about the sleeping/exhaustion issues, but about other hard things we are currently facing. And this is the realization I came to. The more I pray, the more God is going to draw me closer to Him. And the closer to Him I get, the harder Satan is going to fight to pull me away. Therefore, the more I pray, the harder things are going to get.
So, here is where the rubber meets the road.
I either keep praying, knowing Satan isn't going to give up easily and it's possible things are going to get worse, maybe WAY worse, before they get better. Or I stop praying, give up on the whole God thing and live a different life.
And it all comes down to whether I trust God.
Trust Him wholeheartedly. Trust him with the sleepless nights. With 3 years of unemployment. With feeling like we are lost. With having to tell my daughter we have no money to go school shopping. With wondering why I have to do more with less.
And so it is. The decision is mine to make. Strap in and hold on? Or turn my back and walk away?
Do I trust Him?
I DO.
Buckle up.
Before that, let me give you a little background...when we brought Kylie home, the only place she would sleep was ON us. Those were some dark days trying to figure out what would work. You'd think sleeping on the couch or in a recliner with her would have come to our minds pretty quickly, but no, not so much. Finally after what seemed like an eternity, we started taking turns sleeping downstairs with her on us while the other slept peacefully and quietly in the upstairs bedroom.
After a while of that, we moved her to the pack n play in the living room while we alternated sleeping on the couch. As she acclimated to that, we moved the pack n play to our bedroom. That was fine, but boy it was hard to get up in the morning and tiptoe around. I use the bathroom during the night pretty frequently and I was always afraid of waking her up.
It wasn't too long before we moved her to her crib in her room and took turns sleeping on the portable mattress on the floor in her room. Finally, after seriously what seemed like forever, we were back in the bed together and Kylie sleeping in the crib in her room. She would still awaken multiple times a night, crying out. We took turns going to her bedroom, patting her for maybe 30 seconds to a minute and she'd ease off back to sleep. These times because less and less until we were getting up maybe once or twice a night and for about 30 seconds and that was it. By this time, I was back to work, so Steve would take the weekday night shift and I'd take the weekend night shift.
Then she started sleeping through the night and might cry out briefly once or twice, but we wouldn't have to get up and go to her anymore. That progressed into sleeping without making a noise. Then, miracle of all miracles, she started sleeping until like 9 or 10am and taking 2-3 hour naps. GLORY! And yes, I thought something was wrong. :) That slowly wore off (growth spurt over) and she began waking earlier and earlier in the morning. The last 3 days she has been up multiple times a night, not just crying out, but crying, standing in her crib and having to be removed, held and rocked for 20-30 minutes before going back to sleep.
We've tried everything we know to do to get her back to sleeping decently again and nothing has worked. And quite frankly, even though we have come miles from those first days and weeks home, we are OVER IT. We are exhausted. Steve mainly because he's the one taking the brunt of it. But of course, I lay awake while he's with her, trying desperately to put her back to bed without her screaming, and feel guilty that I have to get up and work the next day. We've really been struggling this week.
Today, on my way to work, I was thinking about why this is happening. I do feel like my church, collectively and individually, has been under spiritual attack. So many young, hurting families. Senseless things they are having to face and go through. And while I'm thankful and blessed both my girls and husband are not in the hospital fighting for their very lives, this is OUR battle and it's hard.
And we have prayed harder than ever before. Not just about the sleeping/exhaustion issues, but about other hard things we are currently facing. And this is the realization I came to. The more I pray, the more God is going to draw me closer to Him. And the closer to Him I get, the harder Satan is going to fight to pull me away. Therefore, the more I pray, the harder things are going to get.
So, here is where the rubber meets the road.
I either keep praying, knowing Satan isn't going to give up easily and it's possible things are going to get worse, maybe WAY worse, before they get better. Or I stop praying, give up on the whole God thing and live a different life.
And it all comes down to whether I trust God.
Trust Him wholeheartedly. Trust him with the sleepless nights. With 3 years of unemployment. With feeling like we are lost. With having to tell my daughter we have no money to go school shopping. With wondering why I have to do more with less.
And so it is. The decision is mine to make. Strap in and hold on? Or turn my back and walk away?
Do I trust Him?
I DO.
Buckle up.
3.12.2012
Speechless...alternatively titled...God Shows Up Part II
It's unusual for me to post twice in one day. So you must know I have something important to say. I'm blogging tonight not to brag or ask for attention for any particular person. I am simply brought to my knees tonight in gratefulness to a God who just doesn't quit. Praise God that He doesn't. And I want to journal here for me to come back and remember when I doubt.
I mentioned in this post how I don't understand why God continues to provide even through my doubt and unfaithfulness. Then today happened...again...
One of those "strangers" I mentioned in the earlier post is actually the friend of a friend. I have lots of lots of virtual friends who are adoptive moms. These girls are as close to my heart as one can be that you've never met. One of these sweet moms has become such a dear friend to me. She pointed another adoptive mom (also adopting a cleft baby) to my blog.
This mom recently contacted me and gave me her blog and we exchanged an email or two. It was in her first email to me that she said she wanted to make a donation to our adoption and wanted to know what address to send it to.
Today, I received her check in the mail. Steve called because he'd gotten the mail and had seen the envelope. He wanted to know who was sending it (as he did not recognize the return address name) and whether he could open it. I told him he could and I could hear the paper rustling as he opened the envelope.
What I heard next was from Jenna....a huge gasp of surprise, then, "WHOA!!!!" and then silence. Enough silence that I wasn't sure if we were still connected. Finally, Steve squeaked out, near tears, "It's a check for $1,000!!"
Yes, my friends, God sent us $1,000 through another adoptive mama who had been equally blessed through her fundraising. I found myself absolutely speechless. And for those that know me, that is quite unusual.
So, I'm here telling this story not to applaud this generous donor (because I know she's reading). Though I barely know her, my guess is she would not want her name mentioned here. She didn't give for the recognition. She gave, because like my former co-worker, it's what she felt God was leading her to do.
I want you to see how God is working. That is undeniable. And it's not just the $1,000. It's the $50, the $200, the $10 and the $20 for all the t-shirts everyone bought. Every single dollar has served to get us to this point.
I am as humbled as I can possibly be. I feel like I should be on my face before God thanking Him for being a God that pursues me. He is not satisfied to get us "almost there" or "close". He's going to blow us out of the water.
And you, my friends, are witnessing a miracle in the making.
Jump on board because God isn't done yet.
Matter of fact, it looks like He's just. getting. started.
I mentioned in this post how I don't understand why God continues to provide even through my doubt and unfaithfulness. Then today happened...again...
One of those "strangers" I mentioned in the earlier post is actually the friend of a friend. I have lots of lots of virtual friends who are adoptive moms. These girls are as close to my heart as one can be that you've never met. One of these sweet moms has become such a dear friend to me. She pointed another adoptive mom (also adopting a cleft baby) to my blog.
This mom recently contacted me and gave me her blog and we exchanged an email or two. It was in her first email to me that she said she wanted to make a donation to our adoption and wanted to know what address to send it to.
Today, I received her check in the mail. Steve called because he'd gotten the mail and had seen the envelope. He wanted to know who was sending it (as he did not recognize the return address name) and whether he could open it. I told him he could and I could hear the paper rustling as he opened the envelope.
What I heard next was from Jenna....a huge gasp of surprise, then, "WHOA!!!!" and then silence. Enough silence that I wasn't sure if we were still connected. Finally, Steve squeaked out, near tears, "It's a check for $1,000!!"
Yes, my friends, God sent us $1,000 through another adoptive mama who had been equally blessed through her fundraising. I found myself absolutely speechless. And for those that know me, that is quite unusual.
So, I'm here telling this story not to applaud this generous donor (because I know she's reading). Though I barely know her, my guess is she would not want her name mentioned here. She didn't give for the recognition. She gave, because like my former co-worker, it's what she felt God was leading her to do.
I want you to see how God is working. That is undeniable. And it's not just the $1,000. It's the $50, the $200, the $10 and the $20 for all the t-shirts everyone bought. Every single dollar has served to get us to this point.
I am as humbled as I can possibly be. I feel like I should be on my face before God thanking Him for being a God that pursues me. He is not satisfied to get us "almost there" or "close". He's going to blow us out of the water.
And you, my friends, are witnessing a miracle in the making.
Jump on board because God isn't done yet.
Matter of fact, it looks like He's just. getting. started.
3.11.2012
I Just Don't Understand...
Please read all the way through this blog. I apologize for its length, but it's important you get the whole story...
So many times when I sit down to blog, I write a blog entry and set it to post at a date in the future. This keeps my ideas flowing and gives me the ability to have something posting as often as possible. But today's post is written in real time. I have these feelings that are so intense right now and wanted to get them all down before time diminishes their intensity.
Lately, I have felt numb regarding our adoption trip. I know I should feel excited, but I have just felt...nothing. I've been in planning mode and I have attributed my lack of excitement to that. Later, I hope I'll be thankful seeing that I'm already packed and don't feel rushed to get stuff done. We'll see.
The last few days have been almost sad for me though. I keep thinking about leaving Steve, missing weeks of church and even missing work. Because our floor at work will be remodeled while I'm out, I had the task of packing up my office before I leave, which I mostly did on Friday. It felt like I was leaving and not coming back. Everything I do now feels like "the last time". Last time to eat dinner with my sister and niece as a family of 3, last Saturday as a family of 3, last church service as a family of 3. Don't get me wrong...we have longed for, prayer for and waited for Kylie. We can't wait to have her. But this overwhelming sadness has come upon me and I think Jenna is feeling it too. She's complaining about weird ailments (my stomach hurts, my ear feels funny etc.)
But let me just share with you how God is working...if you read this post, you'll know, this adoption is not completely paid for. When we come back, we'll owe close to $10,000 on a credit card which we have used exclusively to pay the travel expenses of this trip. I have a $4500 reimbursement coming from my company which is for adoption (yes, it is VERY awesome), and we'll have about $500 in our savings that can round that up to $5000. $5000 is left for us to pay.
Last Sunday, a woman in our church came up to me and handed me a card. Inside it was a $200 check. The same Sunday, a sweet friend who is like a mentor to me wrote me out a $50 check. Within a few minutes of that, I delivered two t-shirt to someone who handed me $40 in cash. In the span of 1 hour, nearly $300. This past week, I've had 3 people tell me they are putting money in the mail. I have no idea how much they are giving, but of these three, they are all total strangers to me. People who friends have pointed to my blog and felt that God was telling them to help. TOTAL STRANGERS.
Then on Friday, a good friend, with whom I used to work emailed me to wish me well on my trip. She said she had something to give me for the trip and when could we meet. We met in he Petsmart on Saturday where she handed me a card. She told me that she had been praying for me throughout this journey asking God all the while how she could help. She had not gotten a clear answer until she read the post I linked above. That's when she knew it. She gave me $400 cash for the van trip to Hong Kong. $400. Did you notice in that post that I never mentioned any other dollar amount? Why would I have even chosen to tell you all that the van ride would cost $400??? There are about 50 other costs involved with the international travel. Why? Because God needed to confirm for her what she was to do. And yes, I cried in the middle of Petsmart. And I cried in the middle of the Dollar Tree while I was trying to tell Steve. And I'm crying now as I write about this HUGE blessing. When I get on that van to begin the long journey home, I'll be thinking about this friend. And I'll be praying God is blessing her in that VERY moment for helping us.
But that's not even close to all...this morning as I was dropping Jenna off for Sunday school, another dear friend (and adoptive mommy) handed me a check. I knew better than to open it inside, so I waited until I got to my car. Another $200. And I cried all the way home...to where I sit now. Crying. And lest you misunderstand and think I just have "rich" friends, nothing could be further from the truth. These friends, sometimes strangers, are just like us. They work, provide for their families and love God. They ask Him how to help, and then they obey. And I can't wait to pay them back by paying it forward to others.
That's what I would have said.
But thankfully, that's not what He said.
He says, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!" (Malachi 3:10)
"For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)
And I say, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24b)
I don't understand why He loves me the way He does. I just know that He does. I'm so far short from what He wants me to be. But praise Him, He is NOT. DONE. WITH. ME. YET.
So many times when I sit down to blog, I write a blog entry and set it to post at a date in the future. This keeps my ideas flowing and gives me the ability to have something posting as often as possible. But today's post is written in real time. I have these feelings that are so intense right now and wanted to get them all down before time diminishes their intensity.
Lately, I have felt numb regarding our adoption trip. I know I should feel excited, but I have just felt...nothing. I've been in planning mode and I have attributed my lack of excitement to that. Later, I hope I'll be thankful seeing that I'm already packed and don't feel rushed to get stuff done. We'll see.
The last few days have been almost sad for me though. I keep thinking about leaving Steve, missing weeks of church and even missing work. Because our floor at work will be remodeled while I'm out, I had the task of packing up my office before I leave, which I mostly did on Friday. It felt like I was leaving and not coming back. Everything I do now feels like "the last time". Last time to eat dinner with my sister and niece as a family of 3, last Saturday as a family of 3, last church service as a family of 3. Don't get me wrong...we have longed for, prayer for and waited for Kylie. We can't wait to have her. But this overwhelming sadness has come upon me and I think Jenna is feeling it too. She's complaining about weird ailments (my stomach hurts, my ear feels funny etc.)
But let me just share with you how God is working...if you read this post, you'll know, this adoption is not completely paid for. When we come back, we'll owe close to $10,000 on a credit card which we have used exclusively to pay the travel expenses of this trip. I have a $4500 reimbursement coming from my company which is for adoption (yes, it is VERY awesome), and we'll have about $500 in our savings that can round that up to $5000. $5000 is left for us to pay.
Last Sunday, a woman in our church came up to me and handed me a card. Inside it was a $200 check. The same Sunday, a sweet friend who is like a mentor to me wrote me out a $50 check. Within a few minutes of that, I delivered two t-shirt to someone who handed me $40 in cash. In the span of 1 hour, nearly $300. This past week, I've had 3 people tell me they are putting money in the mail. I have no idea how much they are giving, but of these three, they are all total strangers to me. People who friends have pointed to my blog and felt that God was telling them to help. TOTAL STRANGERS.
Then on Friday, a good friend, with whom I used to work emailed me to wish me well on my trip. She said she had something to give me for the trip and when could we meet. We met in he Petsmart on Saturday where she handed me a card. She told me that she had been praying for me throughout this journey asking God all the while how she could help. She had not gotten a clear answer until she read the post I linked above. That's when she knew it. She gave me $400 cash for the van trip to Hong Kong. $400. Did you notice in that post that I never mentioned any other dollar amount? Why would I have even chosen to tell you all that the van ride would cost $400??? There are about 50 other costs involved with the international travel. Why? Because God needed to confirm for her what she was to do. And yes, I cried in the middle of Petsmart. And I cried in the middle of the Dollar Tree while I was trying to tell Steve. And I'm crying now as I write about this HUGE blessing. When I get on that van to begin the long journey home, I'll be thinking about this friend. And I'll be praying God is blessing her in that VERY moment for helping us.
But that's not even close to all...this morning as I was dropping Jenna off for Sunday school, another dear friend (and adoptive mommy) handed me a check. I knew better than to open it inside, so I waited until I got to my car. Another $200. And I cried all the way home...to where I sit now. Crying. And lest you misunderstand and think I just have "rich" friends, nothing could be further from the truth. These friends, sometimes strangers, are just like us. They work, provide for their families and love God. They ask Him how to help, and then they obey. And I can't wait to pay them back by paying it forward to others.
That's what I would have said.
But thankfully, that's not what He said.
He says, "Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do,” says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to take it in! Try it! Put me to the test!" (Malachi 3:10)
"For nothing is impossible with God." (Luke 1:37)
And I say, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24b)
I don't understand why He loves me the way He does. I just know that He does. I'm so far short from what He wants me to be. But praise Him, He is NOT. DONE. WITH. ME. YET.
He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all
He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves
We are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking
So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way
And oh, how He loves us
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so
how he loves
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how he loves
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
(David Crowder Band, "How He Loves")
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us so
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all
He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.
He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves
We are His portion and He is our prize
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes
If grace is an ocean, we're all sinking
So Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest
I don't have time to maintain these regrets
When I think about the way
And oh, how He loves us
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us so
how he loves
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how he loves
Yeah, He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
(David Crowder Band, "How He Loves")
2.27.2012
God Shows Up
Many of you know our struggles with Steve being unemployed for the last...well...forever, it seems. And most of you know my story that I was called (very clearly, in fact) to go on a mission journey to South Africa shortly after Steve lost his job. You can read about that amazing story here and here. Then, before leaving for South Africa, God called us to adopt. I know it was a God calling because before, Steve had absolutely no interest in adding to our family.
In the years (yes, 2 1/2 and counting) in which Steve has been out of a job, we have been asked by God to do many BIG things. Many things that cost A LOT of money. But today, I'm here to talk about how God has shown up in those leaps of faith...
2 1/2 years ago, we were DEEP in debt. We were barely making ends meet and we had tons of credit card debt...some from bad financial decisions, but some also from bumps in our financial road that we weren't adequately prepared for. When my dad passed away, I inherited enough money to pay that debt off and we were set! We were about to be livin' the good life! We didn't even get a one month taste of the good life because it was a month later when Steve lost his job. Back then, if you would have told me we would be where we are today, I would have laughed (shout out to Sarah of the OT times!). Because there would have been no way, short of a miracle, we could have made it on just my salary for this long.
But here we are. Almost ready to bring Kylie home and so far, all of the adoption paid for in CASH. Some cash we had saved (albeit for Jenna's college fund!), much of it donated, lots of it fundraised, the rest of it earned.
Mid-last week, we had over 100 adoption t-shirts left. We only bought 150 to start, so having the majority of that left was pretty sad. Since that time, my niece Beth (the daughter of Deanne, my SIL traveling with me to China) sold EIGHT shirts to folks in her little physician's office. EIGHT! Friday night, Steve took the whole bin to the bowling alley where my SIL and many of her closest friends bowl on a church league. Steve came in with nearly $200 worth of t-shirts sold there. Sunday, my sweet neighbor, Aimee, took a bunch of shirts to her church and sold 13 of them there. And the kicker was that Aimee was saddened she didn't sell more! SELL MORE?!?! Holy cow? Saturday night, a few other adoptive families and I held a craft night fundraiser (more to come as soon as I hijack pics of the night from my friend Elizabeth), and I walked away with another chunk of change (remember, "chunk" is all in the eye of the beholder!) and since my Facebook post last week, I've gotten about 10 order for t-shirts as well. 5 on my desk to send out today!
All that to say, in the last...3 days...we've been blessed with nearly $1000 more to get us to Kylie! The airline tickets are bought. And they went on a credit card. Unfortunately, that was the only way to pay for them in the short amount of time we have. But I know that God shows up sometimes at the 11th hour when we know there is NO other way for things to happen. So I hope God is just getting started. He might not will it that this adoption be completely paid for without more sacrifice on our part. I paid more than 1/2 of my mission journey to South Africa. And yes, it hurt. Financially, we didn't have it, but we found it eventually and paid it off at the last minute.
But while I'm here...I want to remember His provisions in our lives. God is just getting started. I hope you'll stick around to see Him finish this out.
Oh, and if you want a t-shirt, we do have some left. There are no more SMALLS. We have a handful of Mediums and plenty of Large and XL. I have 1-3XL left and maybe 1 or 2 of the 2XLs. Click here to learn how to get one and be a part of Kylie's story.
By the way, if you purchased a t-shirt and can take a picture of you wearing it, do that and send it to me. I'll post them on my blog over the next few weeks. My friend Elizabeth is doing this over on her blog and I sure wish I thought of it sooner! She's a smart cookie!
In the years (yes, 2 1/2 and counting) in which Steve has been out of a job, we have been asked by God to do many BIG things. Many things that cost A LOT of money. But today, I'm here to talk about how God has shown up in those leaps of faith...
2 1/2 years ago, we were DEEP in debt. We were barely making ends meet and we had tons of credit card debt...some from bad financial decisions, but some also from bumps in our financial road that we weren't adequately prepared for. When my dad passed away, I inherited enough money to pay that debt off and we were set! We were about to be livin' the good life! We didn't even get a one month taste of the good life because it was a month later when Steve lost his job. Back then, if you would have told me we would be where we are today, I would have laughed (shout out to Sarah of the OT times!). Because there would have been no way, short of a miracle, we could have made it on just my salary for this long.
But here we are. Almost ready to bring Kylie home and so far, all of the adoption paid for in CASH. Some cash we had saved (albeit for Jenna's college fund!), much of it donated, lots of it fundraised, the rest of it earned.
Mid-last week, we had over 100 adoption t-shirts left. We only bought 150 to start, so having the majority of that left was pretty sad. Since that time, my niece Beth (the daughter of Deanne, my SIL traveling with me to China) sold EIGHT shirts to folks in her little physician's office. EIGHT! Friday night, Steve took the whole bin to the bowling alley where my SIL and many of her closest friends bowl on a church league. Steve came in with nearly $200 worth of t-shirts sold there. Sunday, my sweet neighbor, Aimee, took a bunch of shirts to her church and sold 13 of them there. And the kicker was that Aimee was saddened she didn't sell more! SELL MORE?!?! Holy cow? Saturday night, a few other adoptive families and I held a craft night fundraiser (more to come as soon as I hijack pics of the night from my friend Elizabeth), and I walked away with another chunk of change (remember, "chunk" is all in the eye of the beholder!) and since my Facebook post last week, I've gotten about 10 order for t-shirts as well. 5 on my desk to send out today!
All that to say, in the last...3 days...we've been blessed with nearly $1000 more to get us to Kylie! The airline tickets are bought. And they went on a credit card. Unfortunately, that was the only way to pay for them in the short amount of time we have. But I know that God shows up sometimes at the 11th hour when we know there is NO other way for things to happen. So I hope God is just getting started. He might not will it that this adoption be completely paid for without more sacrifice on our part. I paid more than 1/2 of my mission journey to South Africa. And yes, it hurt. Financially, we didn't have it, but we found it eventually and paid it off at the last minute.
But while I'm here...I want to remember His provisions in our lives. God is just getting started. I hope you'll stick around to see Him finish this out.
Oh, and if you want a t-shirt, we do have some left. There are no more SMALLS. We have a handful of Mediums and plenty of Large and XL. I have 1-3XL left and maybe 1 or 2 of the 2XLs. Click here to learn how to get one and be a part of Kylie's story.
By the way, if you purchased a t-shirt and can take a picture of you wearing it, do that and send it to me. I'll post them on my blog over the next few weeks. My friend Elizabeth is doing this over on her blog and I sure wish I thought of it sooner! She's a smart cookie!
1.24.2012
My friend Darlene
Several months ago, I introduced you to my friend Darlene. This summer, at the young age of 40, she was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. Since this, she has fought valiantly against this awful disease. Late this fall, I was honored to do the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and participate on Team Darlene.
I have had several of you ask me how Darlene is doing. So I wanted to give you an update. Several weeks ago, she rang the bell signaling her last chemo treatment! This past week, she had the surgery that generally follows breast cancer. She is now at home recovering.
I am pleased to report the tumor and surrounding infected tissue was completely removed! Praise God! And Darlene is doing very well in her recovery at this stage in the game. However, they did find one tiny spot of cancer in the first lymph node they removed. This news was pretty difficult to swallow because we know this means there is the potential for more chemo treatments ahead.
However, we are thrilled that the cancer is now no longer in her body. And her friends are ready to walk with her for the remainder of this journey no matter how long that is. So, please continue your prayers for my sweet Darlene. She has remained so joyful during this awful journey. Pray for her family as they help her recover.
If you are interested, you can go to her Caringbridge site here to read more.
I have had several of you ask me how Darlene is doing. So I wanted to give you an update. Several weeks ago, she rang the bell signaling her last chemo treatment! This past week, she had the surgery that generally follows breast cancer. She is now at home recovering.
I am pleased to report the tumor and surrounding infected tissue was completely removed! Praise God! And Darlene is doing very well in her recovery at this stage in the game. However, they did find one tiny spot of cancer in the first lymph node they removed. This news was pretty difficult to swallow because we know this means there is the potential for more chemo treatments ahead.
However, we are thrilled that the cancer is now no longer in her body. And her friends are ready to walk with her for the remainder of this journey no matter how long that is. So, please continue your prayers for my sweet Darlene. She has remained so joyful during this awful journey. Pray for her family as they help her recover.
If you are interested, you can go to her Caringbridge site here to read more.
12.30.2011
IT'S HERE!!!!
LOA ARRIVED TODAY!!! Praise the Lord! Let me tell you just how awesome this news is...even moreso today...
Last fall, right before I was ready to leave on the mission journey to South Africa, I experienced an attack from Satan. Those of you who have traveled on mission journeys before have most likely experienced this. It was hard and I did NOT want to go on the trip. I didn't want to go and leave my family. I didn't know hardly anyone else going and two weeks was a long time. Then a week before we departed, my brother passed away unexpectedly. I was devastated and then not only did I not want to go, but neither did my family want me to go. It was a hard ugly time.
When I got back to work after my bereavement leave, the sweet cleaning lady, Brenda, who cleans our building during the day passed by. We often speak and she knew I was going on a mission journey soon, but obviously knew nothing of my internal struggle. That particular day, she stopped her cart outside my office door and said, "The Lord spoke to me and I have a Word from Him for you." Internally I was rolling my eyes because how hokey does that sound right??! But then, she said to me, "He wanted me to encourage you as you go on this trip. HE is sending you and HE has gone before you and everything is gonna be OK". HOLY. COW.
Needless to say, it was all I could do to keep it together. God may not speak audibly but I heard Him loud and clear through Brenda that day. It was a little freakish. But, while I still didn't look forward to leaving my family, the fear was gone. It was an amazing time.
As I had my emotional breakdown earlier this week while waiting on my LOA, I jokingly said to my work BFF, Katelyn, "Maybe I need to have Brenda pray for my LOA!" Katelyn, more seriously said she thought I should. I saw Brenda a few times throughout the week, but it was never a convenient time to tell her the story and ask her to pray.
Until this morning. Normally, another co-worker and I go down to get water or breakfast. She is off today, so I went down alone...an unusual occurrance in and of itself. When I walked into the cafeteria, who did I see, sitting there alone, eating breakfast? Brenda. And I knew, it was now or never. To say I felt a little silly is an understatement, but I just plunged ahead telling her about the paper I needed from China and how long we had waited. She knew I was adopting, but I showed her new pictures of Kylie etc. She grabbed my hands and right there in the cafeteria prayed for my LOA to come. And then she said, "It's on its way. Mark my words. That paper is coming." The end. Brenda had spoken.
2 1/2 hours later, I recevied the news that the LOA, indeed, had shown up at my agency. If that isn't another direct word from God, I don't know what is. And if you don't believe there is a God in heaven who hears us when we pray, you should think again.
Next up, Brenda is praying for Steve a job!!! :) :) :)
More to come...
Last fall, right before I was ready to leave on the mission journey to South Africa, I experienced an attack from Satan. Those of you who have traveled on mission journeys before have most likely experienced this. It was hard and I did NOT want to go on the trip. I didn't want to go and leave my family. I didn't know hardly anyone else going and two weeks was a long time. Then a week before we departed, my brother passed away unexpectedly. I was devastated and then not only did I not want to go, but neither did my family want me to go. It was a hard ugly time.
When I got back to work after my bereavement leave, the sweet cleaning lady, Brenda, who cleans our building during the day passed by. We often speak and she knew I was going on a mission journey soon, but obviously knew nothing of my internal struggle. That particular day, she stopped her cart outside my office door and said, "The Lord spoke to me and I have a Word from Him for you." Internally I was rolling my eyes because how hokey does that sound right??! But then, she said to me, "He wanted me to encourage you as you go on this trip. HE is sending you and HE has gone before you and everything is gonna be OK". HOLY. COW.
Needless to say, it was all I could do to keep it together. God may not speak audibly but I heard Him loud and clear through Brenda that day. It was a little freakish. But, while I still didn't look forward to leaving my family, the fear was gone. It was an amazing time.
As I had my emotional breakdown earlier this week while waiting on my LOA, I jokingly said to my work BFF, Katelyn, "Maybe I need to have Brenda pray for my LOA!" Katelyn, more seriously said she thought I should. I saw Brenda a few times throughout the week, but it was never a convenient time to tell her the story and ask her to pray.
Until this morning. Normally, another co-worker and I go down to get water or breakfast. She is off today, so I went down alone...an unusual occurrance in and of itself. When I walked into the cafeteria, who did I see, sitting there alone, eating breakfast? Brenda. And I knew, it was now or never. To say I felt a little silly is an understatement, but I just plunged ahead telling her about the paper I needed from China and how long we had waited. She knew I was adopting, but I showed her new pictures of Kylie etc. She grabbed my hands and right there in the cafeteria prayed for my LOA to come. And then she said, "It's on its way. Mark my words. That paper is coming." The end. Brenda had spoken.
2 1/2 hours later, I recevied the news that the LOA, indeed, had shown up at my agency. If that isn't another direct word from God, I don't know what is. And if you don't believe there is a God in heaven who hears us when we pray, you should think again.
Next up, Brenda is praying for Steve a job!!! :) :) :)
More to come...
9.19.2011
Employment Suits Us (sort of)
I've gotten repeated questions regarding how Steve's job is going. It's a complicated question actually. The company is a large company. And there are perks that go along with a large company that Steve's never really encountered before. He sits at a desk. He's not required to stand or run a press. The people he works with are, for the most part, professional. They come in and say "good morning" and speak in the hallways. He has a badge to get in and out of the building as well as in and out of his area. They have a cafeteria on site as well as a workout area. They know the rules and employment laws around service dogs. They are more than accommodating with Katie and Steve's needs too. In these respects, he could not have chosen a better company (except for maybe mine!)
The negatives are personal and not related to the company. Steve is what I would consider IT customer support. He answers calls from folks who need password resets and such. The problem is Steve has NEVER done anything like that. Therefore, there is a HUGE learning curve. And Steve has a problem with learning curves. He hates them. He is easily frustrated when he doesn't 'get' something the first time it's presented to him. The first two weeks were 7-4 M-F and all day every day training. And it was rough. He came home every day fussing about how he was never gonna get it.
Due to an error in his very common name, he's not gotten all the proper log ins, so this past week, his third week he did 7-4 shadowing. Luckily they've sat him next to my niece's husband, Bob, who has been a GOD SEND for Steve because he teaches Steve more slowly so he can pick up on things. This week Steve is also working 7-4 M-F. That's 2 extra weeks of training while he waits on his new log in. Don't you love it when God orchestrates little things like that to help us where He knows we need it?
So, for 2 extra weeks, Steve has sat with not just anyone, but a family member, shadowing him and the days have been considerably better. Each day he comes home saying his day was "OK" and "alright" instead of dreading the next day.
I do believe Steve has realized all the benefits of being at home. I know I sure have. I had forgotten how much I did NOT miss worrying about child care for Jenna when she's randomly out of school or on holiday. Here I am trying to save up as much time as I can for our trip to China and he's not really at a place where he can take off. That's probably the one stress I do not miss at all. That and the entire first week, I'd be like, "Hey, can you run to the bank tomorrow?" and then realize, no, no he couldn't. I've lost my personal assistant. :(
The good thing is every Friday when his paycheck arrives in the mail. It's not a lot more than what he was getting in unemployment but it is enough to get us through.
And in a few weeks, I think the answer to how his day was will be, "It was great!"
The negatives are personal and not related to the company. Steve is what I would consider IT customer support. He answers calls from folks who need password resets and such. The problem is Steve has NEVER done anything like that. Therefore, there is a HUGE learning curve. And Steve has a problem with learning curves. He hates them. He is easily frustrated when he doesn't 'get' something the first time it's presented to him. The first two weeks were 7-4 M-F and all day every day training. And it was rough. He came home every day fussing about how he was never gonna get it.
Due to an error in his very common name, he's not gotten all the proper log ins, so this past week, his third week he did 7-4 shadowing. Luckily they've sat him next to my niece's husband, Bob, who has been a GOD SEND for Steve because he teaches Steve more slowly so he can pick up on things. This week Steve is also working 7-4 M-F. That's 2 extra weeks of training while he waits on his new log in. Don't you love it when God orchestrates little things like that to help us where He knows we need it?
So, for 2 extra weeks, Steve has sat with not just anyone, but a family member, shadowing him and the days have been considerably better. Each day he comes home saying his day was "OK" and "alright" instead of dreading the next day.
I do believe Steve has realized all the benefits of being at home. I know I sure have. I had forgotten how much I did NOT miss worrying about child care for Jenna when she's randomly out of school or on holiday. Here I am trying to save up as much time as I can for our trip to China and he's not really at a place where he can take off. That's probably the one stress I do not miss at all. That and the entire first week, I'd be like, "Hey, can you run to the bank tomorrow?" and then realize, no, no he couldn't. I've lost my personal assistant. :(
The good thing is every Friday when his paycheck arrives in the mail. It's not a lot more than what he was getting in unemployment but it is enough to get us through.
And in a few weeks, I think the answer to how his day was will be, "It was great!"
9.07.2011
Praises and Updates
First, I'd like to thank everyone on my FB and from my blog for praying for us lately. We've been through a lot of changes and even though for the most part they are exciting, even excitement can be wearing on a person emotionally.
Steve got his schedule today. If you'll recall, he had 15 different shifts to choose from and they were almost ALL different. It wasn't the 1st, 2nd, 3rd shift type stuff you normally find. It was every type of shift under the sun most with weekend days. He was to rate them 1-15 with 1 being his top choice. Then they would assign shifts based on their ranking in training. Of course, having NO IT knowledge, he was very concerned about this process. The day he got the schedules to rank was probably our darkest day yet. We've prayed ferverently that God's will be done, but Steve's main concern was being able to go to church. Well, I'm thrilled to be able to give God ALL the glory in that Steve got his FIRST choice of schedule!!! He'll be working 6am-3pm Tuesday through Saturday. Yes, that ruins our Saturdays, but we'll get to spend every evening with him even though he'll go to bed super early.
That means Jenna will only have to stay in aftercare for about 30 minutes 4 days a week. It's a bummer to have to pay over $100 a month for that length of time, but it is what it is. We aren't complaining.
Also, the situation at school seems to have resolved itself. Jenna spoke with the teacher yesterday and she said they talked to the other child's parent on Friday afternoon and "got it all straightened out". That's all Jenna got in terms of an answer. Which makes me happy since it seems it's over. But then it makes me mad that after all the grief my girl went through, she got "it's straightened out" and I got nothing. So I'm going to email the teacher today and see what information I can get.
No word on the adoption. Due to Steve's new job, we believe we'll have to have a home study update done. We are waiting to hear about that for sure.
Thanks for your prayers! God is SO good!
Steve got his schedule today. If you'll recall, he had 15 different shifts to choose from and they were almost ALL different. It wasn't the 1st, 2nd, 3rd shift type stuff you normally find. It was every type of shift under the sun most with weekend days. He was to rate them 1-15 with 1 being his top choice. Then they would assign shifts based on their ranking in training. Of course, having NO IT knowledge, he was very concerned about this process. The day he got the schedules to rank was probably our darkest day yet. We've prayed ferverently that God's will be done, but Steve's main concern was being able to go to church. Well, I'm thrilled to be able to give God ALL the glory in that Steve got his FIRST choice of schedule!!! He'll be working 6am-3pm Tuesday through Saturday. Yes, that ruins our Saturdays, but we'll get to spend every evening with him even though he'll go to bed super early.
That means Jenna will only have to stay in aftercare for about 30 minutes 4 days a week. It's a bummer to have to pay over $100 a month for that length of time, but it is what it is. We aren't complaining.
Also, the situation at school seems to have resolved itself. Jenna spoke with the teacher yesterday and she said they talked to the other child's parent on Friday afternoon and "got it all straightened out". That's all Jenna got in terms of an answer. Which makes me happy since it seems it's over. But then it makes me mad that after all the grief my girl went through, she got "it's straightened out" and I got nothing. So I'm going to email the teacher today and see what information I can get.
No word on the adoption. Due to Steve's new job, we believe we'll have to have a home study update done. We are waiting to hear about that for sure.
Thanks for your prayers! God is SO good!
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