Keeping the Faith

Is it really fall?

2010-11-08T15:52:00.002-05:00

We have had a beautiful fall and lots of bright sunny days--today is 65 degrees and I am loving this little stretch of Indian summer!!. We are so thankful for the great weather and that the kids can still play outside without their coats. We have been busy with school, sports, work and church things. Kevin was able to take a trip out west to go hunting but sadly missed the "big one". He will try to do some hunting around home with Austin too. Mariah is enjoying playing basketball and Nolan will soon start it as well. Austin is done with football and enjoys a little break right now before baseball in the early spring. Anjali is loving school and doing well. Can't believe that in a few weeks we will celebrate Thanksgiving--Thank you God for our many blessings!

What a day!!

2010-07-27T00:56:00.004-04:00

It has been a great day out here in Montana! We are having an awesome time and enjoying God's beautiful creation!! We arrived at the Bed and Breakfast in Whitefish yesterday and started checking things out. Today we went to the beach, white water rafting and had steak dinners on the riverbank after that. YUM!!! As we were finishing dinner we seen a black bear on the shore of the river who then went swimming across the river. It was so cool to see a bear (I was just glad it didn't come too close). Kevin got some pictures of it so hopefully I can post those soon. Nolan had a blast celebrating his birthday today and even enjoyed cake tonight at the Lodge that we picked up at the bakery. We are having and amazing time together and making some unforgettable memories!!
We are so blessed to be able to do this with our family!

Summertime

2010-07-22T00:24:00.014-04:00

In the past Summertime has meant more relaxed days, less going on and hanging out with the kids. This summer has been so busy so far and I can't believe it is more than half over. I don't even want to think about that. We have been busy with so many different things but are enjoying the hot weather we are blessed with. We have camped, spent time at the neighbor's pool, been to the beach as much as we can, gone to softball games (lots of them), spent time at the lake on a friend's boat, hanging with friends and are getting ready to go on a long family vacation. We are so excited to take a vacation together and look forward to making many memories before school starts again. The kids are all keeping busy and enjoying the summer days. Here's a look at what we have been up to.

MJ playing softball

Anjali loves to tube

Austin learned how to barefoot at the lake

Having a ball in Grandpa's jeep

Hanging out at the lake on a beautiful summer night

From the beginning of time

2010-03-16T22:01:00.007-04:00

Three years ago today our adoption application was accepted by Holt International. We knew that we were following God's call to adopt but also knew there were many unknowns in adopting. At that time we requested a girl between the ages of 2-4 from India. We knew God had an incredible plan with all the details already worked out-- the waiting and praying began. We were filled with excitetment as we began to think about the girl that God would bless our home with. We wondered so much about her--how old she would be, what she would look like, what her "story" would be and how she would get along with the other kids and so many other things. Even in the midst of our wondering and excitement God knew because he knows everything that this little girl was to be ours and was in His plan from the beginning of time. How could we have imagined this little princess would be part of our family?

We can't imagine our life without Anjali. He knew how she would touch us, change us and call our family her "forever family". We are so thankful and know that this was God's plan from the begining of time.

She was a gift

2010-03-08T22:14:00.003-05:00

Last week Wednesday March 3 God called home one of his beloved saints who happened to be my Grandmother. She was 93 years old but one would never have guessed that if you met her. She was relatively healthy, remembered so many things about all of the kids and great grand kids, enjoyed getting out quite often and loved it when visitors stopped by to see her. She even loved to go shopping. As we laid her to rest today I was reminded of what a loving, dedicated, caring and sweet person she was. I can only imagine the conversation when she met God face to face and when He said "well done my good and faithful servant". What an awesome image that is! We thank God that she did not suffer and that she went to be with Him so peacefully! She was a very special gift to our family-- but Jesus is the best gift any of us can ever get. We have that assurance that we will see her and Grandpa again someday because of Jesus great love for us and his death on a cross. We love you Grandma and we will miss you!!!

How time flies

2010-02-18T21:05:00.002-05:00

Christmas and New Years have come and gone and we're already alomost 2 months into 2010. WOW! We celebrated Anjali and Mariah's brithdays in the past week too. I can't belive our sweet MJ is already 12 years old. She is so much fun and enjoys life. Anjali turned 5 last week-She had a great birthday and had fun with cousins and grandparents at her party. She continues to learn so much and is as sweet as ever. She is so imaginative and loves to play with her horses and read books. The kids have off school tomorrow so we are heading up north to visit some friends and are looking forward to a fun time. There is usually not a dull moment around our house. We have been enjoying the Olympics the past week on TV too.

Where does time go??

2009-11-20T17:03:00.002-05:00

One year ago today we walked off the plane with our new daughter and introduced her to her family and many new friends. We can hardly believe that she has been with us for a year. We had the days when we asked each other "what have we done" to days when we could hardly believe that she was finally here with us and we were all together as a family. We love that little girl so much and are so thankful for her loving spirit. She has adjusted so well and is getting so excited for Christmas and has a really long list of things she would love to have. It doesn't matter where kids are from but they all know about gifts and presents.We talk about Christmas and how we celebrate Jesus' birthday and how much he loves all of us.

She is getting ready for a girl's/cousin slumber party tonight at Grandma's and is so excited for it. I'm sure they will have a great time!

We love you Anjali!!

One year Ago-Part 2

2009-11-13T16:30:00.001-05:00

Our first meeting

One year ago today Kevin and I walked into the orphanage to meet our daughter for the first time. It was an exciting time--I couldn't wait to see her face to face, touch her and just kiss her. It was an amazing day and she warmed up to us by the end of the visit. We are so amazed at how much she has learned since that day and how well she has adjusted to all the new things around her. She has learned a new language, eats different food, has new friends, goes to a new school, lives with her family, wears different clothes, goes to church and many other things. I am not sure how I would have adjusted to all these new things but we are so proud of her and that she has just learned so much. She seems to be very happy (most days--I keep reminding myself she is 4). She loves to sing, listen to music, eat KIT-KATS, color and doodle, go shopping for new clothes, play Legos, play house, ice cream, watching BOZ videos, popcorn, playing outside, camping, going to the beach, going in her sister's bed and even cuddling with mom on those days when we can sleep in a little.
We are so thankful for the many blessings we have and we continue to thank God for the amazing adoption story we have to tell. We know that he guided us each step of the way on our journey and placed Anjali in our family for a reason. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts for our family the last year--we couldn't have done it without the support of friends and family.

One Year Ago

2009-11-11T23:41:00.005-05:00

We were warmly welcomed on our arrival in Mumbai

The long plane ride to Mumbai

Anjali's referral photo

It's hard to believe that one year ago we were on a airplane for many hours beginning our (physical) journey to India to pick up our daughter. We could hardly believe that we were going to meet Anjali who was already so loved in our hearts and who we had been praying for so long. As I rode on that airplane one year ago I kept thinking with each passing hour that we were getting closer to holding this precious little girl in our arms! I remember crying couple of times as I thought about her and that she was in for a really big change in leaving her familiar world to come home! We prayed for her and that she would bond with us and that God would give her peace about it all.

It has been an amazing year with many blessing and some challenges but God has shown his faithfulness and plan. This little girl is such a blessing and we are so thankful that God has given us the privilege to be her parents and family. We love you Anjali! I'll write more about her soon and what she has been up to in the last several months.

A Princess and an Army Ranger

2009-10-31T23:19:00.007-04:00

Nolan and Anjali had fun tonight dressing up and going around the neighborhood with other kids. We are not big fans of Halloween day but it is fun for the kids to dress up and get some candy. Since it wasn't too warm Anjali did start getting a little cold, looked in her basket and told me "I have enough candy, let's go home now." I think she thought the whole idea of going to people's doors and saying "trick or treat" and then they give you candy was a neat thing. She and Nolan had fun tonight. Mariah stayed back at the house and passed out candy. Austin had some friends over and watched a movie and the World Series (and enjoyed candy).

A busy and fun filled week

2009-09-05T14:07:00.009-04:00

The kids started school this week, except Anjali who starts in a couple of weeks. The week went pretty good yet it's hard to believe that school has started. This Holiday weekend has been a nice little break already.
Anjali's adoption was also finalized this week so she is legally ours!! It was a neat ceremony and we are so thankful that Grandpas and Grandmas and Aunt Amy were able to join us for that. Thank you! We really appreciate all of the love and support you have given us. We are so excited that Anjali is forever a member of our family. She is now a citizen of the USA!!!

Is it FALL?

2009-08-22T17:14:00.006-04:00

With the cooler temperatures today it feels like it is more like Fall than late August! It sure has been a strange day with the weather. It was a nice morning for a bike ride though with great friends. The kids played inside for a while then when the sun came out they were back outside. Looking forward to worshiping our awesome creator tomorrow.

Lazy days of summer are almost over

2009-08-21T21:09:00.016-04:00

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It is hard to believe that in one week from Monday the kids are going back to school. Austin is excited to be staring high school and is enjoying playing football. He is going to be one busy kid when he adds homework to his plate. Mariah is excited too for 6th grade and looking forward to be in Middle school. She is also playing fall softball for about a month so that should keep her (and her parents)busy as well. Nolan is looking forward to 1st grade and is excited that he has a couple of his friends in his class. Anjali is more than excited to go to preschool and I'm sure 2 mornings will hardly be enough for her. I can't believe that she is already going to school. I am certain that she is going to love every minute of it!!

Yesterday was the 9 month anniversary that Anjali arrived in America. I was thinking of all the things she has learned in that time and how proud of her we all are! She is an amazing little girl, sweet natured, sensitive, willing to try new things and so full of love. She is speaking English so well and using words in the correct context. I think so much of last summer when we thought about her constantly and how we wondered what she would be like and what kind of personality she would have. God is so good and his ways are perfect--his choosing our family for her was perfect. Sometimes it seems like she has been with us for much longer than 9 months. I know that adoption is not for everyone but if there are any of you out there considering it or having thaoughts about it take it to God on your knees in prayer. She has been such a blessing to our family and we can't imagine not having followed God's call for our family. When God led us down the long path of adoption we did have doubts at times about it but we have learned that when you do step out in faith and follow God's leading he will bring blessing. We continue to praise him and thank him everyday for his faithfulness to us!

Summertime!!

2009-07-29T19:02:00.006-04:00

Can it really be that August is almost here? Where has summer gone? Our family has been keeping busy and yet we are trying to enjoy the days of summer that are going by too quickly.
Austin graduated from 8th grade and will soon be heading to high school--Yes, I did say High School. We can hardly believe that our oldest is already 14 and going into high school. He is very excited and is also going to play football this fall. He is looking forward to this and wants to give it a try. He has had a lot of fun this summer wake boarding and hanging out with friends.
Mariah finished up with softball last weekend. After the regular season finished she played on the All-Star team and had so much fun meeting new people and playing ball. We are so proud of her as she played very well and learned so much. She has been a big helper to mom this summer and watches her sister when I have some work to do. She hangs out with friends and enjoys baking too.
Nolan just turned 7 last weekend. Can't believe that he is going to be a 1st grader in just a few weeks.He loves to be outside and has been catching frogs in the pond (swamp ) behind our house. He also had a lot of fun playing baseball this summer with Kevin as the coach!
Anjali has been home now for 8 months. She continues to do well and is growing a little I think! She plays with a little girl in the neighborhood and they have lots of fun together. She has adjusted amazingly well since coming home. She had a blast camping and is learning how to swim. We love her so much!!
Our friends from Canada (Conrad, Rhonda and their son David) were in town this past weekend and we had a awesome time with them. We are so blessed by their friendship and we are thankful that they were able to come and spend some time with our family.
We thank God for his many blessings and praise Him for them.

Anjali's special day

2009-05-07T10:39:00.004-04:00

I can't believe over a month has gone by since I have posted last. I have really good intentions some days and it just gets busy and I need to tend to other things. We had a great vacation in Florida and enjoyed the family time--It was so fun to hang out at the pool and beach and just to be together!
Anjali was baptized in our church on 4/26 and it was a very special day. She did so good and did not seem to mind the water as it was dripping down her face. It was a great day for our family to see her welcomed into our church as one of God's children. She is so special and knows that Jesus loves her. As I sat there that day I thought of how God has adopted us all as His children and how he loves us all no matter where we are from or what color our skin may be. We thank God every day for the blessing of Anjali and our other children and the fact that he "adopts" us all into his forever family. I am so thankful for the love God has for us and for the many blessings He has given us. I am so thankful that He chose us to be parents of our 4 special kids and that they love Jesus.
Anjali wore a dress for her baptism that we had purchased in the market in India. She truly looked like a little Indian princes that day and seemed very proud. We are so proud of her and the way she has adjusted to life with our family. She brings alot of joy to our family. It's hard to believe that she has been home alomost six months.
Austin has been keeping busy with school, baseball and track. We can't believe that he graduates from middle school in a little over 3 weeks! He has been having alot of fun with friends too and enjoys getting together with them on the weekends to hang out.
Mariah has also been busy with school and softball. She is having fun playing pitcher and catcher on her team and is doing a great job.
Nolan had his first game last night and the team won by one run. It was so fun to watch him pitch to kids and play catcher too. He had some great hits and runs fast around the bases. Nolan graduates from Kindergarten on 3 weeks--I can't believe he will be going to school every day next year. It will be an adjustment for him as he really enjoys being home with Mom and Anjali a couple of days a week.
Kevin and I can't believe how fast time goes. We try to cherish every day and know that each day is a gift!

We're ready to go!

2009-04-01T22:39:00.003-04:00

To Florida that is! We are leaving in the morning for a family vacation to Florida for Spring Break. We are very excited for this opportunity and look forward to spending time together and our first vacation with the six of us. The kids are excited to be missing out on school tomorrow as they were scheduled to have a full day. We are praying for safe travels and nice weather down there and some fun and relaxation. We are all ready for that!
Life has been very busy around here but so much fun. Mariah is enjoying her Girls on the Run after school a couple of days a week. She is also excited about softball starting after Spring Break. Austin made the school baseball team and is looking forward to playing on that. He also likes to be on the I-touch! Nolan is also ready for baseball and is glad his dad is able to coach the team. He is learning to read and that has been so much fun to hear him put words together. Little Miss Anjali continues to bring so much joy to our family. She is talking so much and really understands most things we tell her. She loves going to BSF, singing songs and playing outside. And she loves her new little kitty. No-it's not real although she may wish it was. She hugs her kitten and even takes it for bike rides on her bike.
We are so blessed to have her in our family and thank God that her adjustment has gone so well. She is a sweetie!
I am so excited to celebrate Easter in a little over a week. It is amazing to think of the great love God has for us that he would give up his only Son to die for us and then to rise from the dead so that we may be saved. That's love!!

I think Spring is coming

2009-03-06T12:18:00.001-05:00

Spring officially arrives 2 weeks from today and we are excited for that. It is truly beginning to feel like it around here with temps in the 50's. The kids are playing outside today and Nolan is trying to fly his kite. I think we need just a little more wind for that. Anjali loves to play outside and still insists on wearing her hat and gloves outside. It is going to be so much fun to be able to be outside with her more as it has basically been pretty cold since she arrived here.

We continue to keep busy and are looking forward to the baseball/softball season starting. Things get really crazy when the 3 older kids are involved in that. School is going well for the kids and they are looking forward to Spring Break which starts in 4 weeks. We are heading to Florida with the family and are excited to have some R&R. Anjali is excited to go swimming! We pray God will bless us with nice weather and a safe trip in the car.

As I was thinking of the seasons changing and the uncertain times that many people find themselves in, I am reminded that there is one thing that will never change or be uncertain--God's great love and faithfulness to us His people. He will take care of us and continue to guide us!!

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23.

A very special day!

2009-02-11T15:57:00.001-05:00

Helping mom in the kitchen baking cookies

Being silly

Our Indian Princess

Nolan and Anjali with their fake teeth--Thank goodness they are not real--

Mom finds me in Mariah's bed some mornings

I know that each day is a gift to us but today is an extra special day to celebrate this little girl who joined our family almost three months ago. Some days it seems like she has been here with us for a long time and others it seems like we just arrived home. This was definitely meant to be. We were all meant to be together and we know that God designed our family this way. Today we celebrate Anjali and the gift she is to us.
We often wonder what her first 4 years of life were like but we are just so grateful now that she is HOME and we treasure every minute. We treasure the moments that she sits on our laps and cuddles close to mom or dad and falls asleep when reading books and when she sings "Jesus Loves Me" as we walk through the grocery store. We love to listen to the giggles that come when she is playing with her brothers and sister. We laugh with her when she when she does those silly little things that girls do. We continue to be amazed at how much she has learned in less than 3 months and we are thankful that she is adjusting so well. She is a joy and we we are so thankful for her life. What a treasure she is!
I think today too of the woman who carried Anjlai and made a choice to give her life. I would want her to know that Anjali is in a family that loves her more than ever and that she is doing so well (and that she is so adorable). I pray that she is safe and that she would come to know Jesus the one who created her and the beautiful child we treasure!
So on her 4th birthday we celebrate her life and the incredible joy she brings. We love you so much Anjali!!!! Happy Birthday!!!

A few pictures

2009-01-15T23:42:00.000-05:00

We're still here

2009-01-15T23:10:00.003-05:00

I guess we have been having so much fun in the last couple of weeks that I haven't had much time to post. We had a great time over Christmas break and a good start to the New Year. It has been busy with school, sports, church and every day things.

Austin is playing on the school's 8th grade basketball team so he has been at practice every day after school for the last couple of weeks with games starting next week. We can hardly believe that he will be in High School next year! How time does fly by! Mariah is keeping busy with school, piano and friends. She is reading a lot this month as it is a special month to focus on reading called Bring on the Books. She is so dedicated to her school work and is doing well. Nolan starts a new schedule next week of two full days and 1 half day. He is excited that he will now be able to eat lunch at school 2 days each week. Mom is looking forward to not having to be home each day at 11:45 to get him off the bus. Anjali continues to amaze us. It is hard to believe that 2 months ago she was speaking primarily Marathi and Hindi and is now speaking mostly English. Sometimes when she is playing she will talk or sing in Indian but then if I ask her to do it again she usually doesn't. We were so blessed this week when I received a call that she was placed in a class at the bible study I attend once a week. She was able to go with me this week and it was so precious to see her playing and interacting with other kids her age. She loves mac-n-cheese, ice cream, Little Bear videos, singing and dancing, playing the piano, painting her nails and writing on paper (and the walls every now and then). She is such a joy and we thank God every day for the gift of her and the love she has. We are so blessed and know that it is a privilege to have all of the children that God has given us. We are enjoying some time too as family on these cold (freezing)winter nights--thank God for our warm home! We have so much to be thankful for!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

2008-12-25T10:50:00.004-05:00

What a wonderful morning it has already been. We woke up this morning and had a great time with our family opening gifts and hanging out with each other! We know that the gifts and presents are fun but we talked with the kids about the real meaning of Christmas and the fact that God loves us so much that he sent his SON to be born in a stable so that someday we may live with Him forever. May we celebrate his birth today and share the love that He has for us with those around us!

We are so thankful that we are able to celebrate this year with "all" of our children. Last year at this time we did not yet know of Anjali--only that God had a special child chosen for us somewhere in India and we were getting very excited to know who she was. God knew (when we didn't) that she would be here with us this year to celebrate the gift of His Son! We are so thankful and filled with excitement that God chose us to be her parents and siblings. We have been given a wonderful gift and are so thankful for all of our children!

May you feel God's love today and thank Him for the greatest gift of all--HIS SON!
Blessings to all of our friends and family on this special day!

God is so good!

2008-12-20T23:01:00.004-05:00

One month ago today we arrived home with our new daughter and sister Anjali. The past month has brought many changes for our family but we have learned through this journey that God is good and that he doesn't make mistakes. This sweet girl just fits so well into our family and we think that our family is just right for her. She is really adjusting so well and has amazed us all with the new things that she learns each day and the love she shares with all of us. She is beginning to talk pretty well and understands much of what we say to her. We give God all the thanks and praise for his plan to have her a part of our family. We are so privileged to be her parents and brothers and sister and we know that we truly followed God's call.
We are so excited to share this Christmas with her. The other day she was helping mom wrap presents by getting tape ready and putting the wrapped gifts under the tree. She thinks most of the gifts are for her as she points to them and then to herself and says "for me." She seems excited to open the gifts!
We have been teaching her (along with Grandma Judy) who loves her more than anybody and she replies "baby Jesus." It is so precious and we are so excited to be telling her about the One who was born in a stable many years ago for her and all of us. We wish you all a blessed Christmas and may you celebrate too the birth of our Savior, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. May you be blessed by God's goodness this Christmas and in the year to come.

Home for 2 weeks

2008-12-04T23:20:00.004-05:00

We can hardly believe that we have been home for 2 weeks already. We continue to be so thankful that we were not caught in the middle of the terrorist activity that occurred in Mumbai last week and that we have Anjali home with us. We thank and give God praise for his perfect timing and plan in this journey. Please continue to keep the people of Mumbai in your prayers as this came as a shock to them as well. Mumbai will always have a special place in our hearts as it is Anjali's birthplace and where we first met her.
Anjali is doing great. We were talking as a family the other night and we all said that it feels like she has been with us so much longer than 2 weeks and that we couldn't imagine life without this precious little girl. She has been an amazing blessing to our family and we are once again reminded that God knows all of the details and that our family was the perfect family for her. She is learning so much every day and is really picking up on English quickly. Every day she says new words and tries to tell us what she needs or wants. She is eating really well and tries new foods often. One of her favorite things to eat is Rice Krispie bars--she will go to the pantry and try to find them as I had to put them up out of her reach. She also loves to eat popcorn at night with Austin and even fell asleep the other night while she was eating it. One thing we have discovered is that she is so ticklish. She loves to play with the kids and has the best giggle when they are playing with her and tickling her. She loves to see them when they come home from school in the afternoon.
We had a great day his past Saturday when we went out to cut our Christmas tree. We missed Austin as he was invited by a friend to attend the high school football championship games that day. The weather was perfect for being outside and we had a great time looking for the perfect tree. Anjali seemed to have a good time on the wagon ride and walking in the field.
The hardest part for her continues to be bedtime. Please pray that this will become easier for her in the weeks to come. Once she is sleeping she sleeps well but it is getting her to that point that is hard.
This Christmas Season we have so much to be thankful for. We thank God each day for this beautiful new daughter/sister he has blessed our family with but more importantly we thank Him for the gift of his precious son Jesus Christ who was born in a stable so many years ago for you and for me so that we can have eternal life with Him. That is something to thank Him for!!

The first snow!!

2008-11-24T21:07:00.003-05:00

Wow--we have some very excited kids at our house since they were able to play in the snow after school today. Many of the neighbor kids and Austin, Mariah, Nolan and even Anjali enjoyed playing in the snow. Anjali seemed to like it but the only thing that she wasn't sure about was wearing a hat. She wouldn't let me put it on her but I am sure she has no idea what it is for and has never had one on her head before.
We had a great day today. This afternoon she went to the store with me and was great the entire time. I would show her several items in the store that we were buying and would ask her in Marathi what it is. She would say the word and then I would tell her the English word for it. She is picking up new words quickly and tries to say many words. She was singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star in English throughout the store--It was precious. After dinner tonight she was playing with Austin and tickling him and was giggling so much. She has the best laugh!
The nights are the most challenging right now as her body is still on India time. She was very tired tonight since she had no nap today and played out in the snow so hopefully she will sleep longer tonight without waking up.
We are all doing well and really enjoying getting to know this precious gift that God has blessed our family with. We thank God for the things we are learning from her and the many ways He has blessed us!

We are home!!

2008-11-22T15:57:00.002-05:00

We returned home late on Thursday night around 11:30 pm. This was later than what we had planned as we missed the flight out of Amsterdam and had to rebook for the later afternoon flight. So after 36 hours of being in an airplane or waiting at airports we were home safely and completely exhausted. We had several friends and family who greeted us at the airport--it was so great to see all of you there even though it was late. Thanks so much for coming!!
We are doing well at home. Anjali loves the kids around has even spent time playing with some neighbor kids who came over to visit. She enjoys playing and is learning new words every day. She amazes us at how quickly she is picking up new words. She is eating lots of new foods and doing well with that. The sleeping is hard right now as she is still on her India time clock. Last night she woke up crying at 2:30am and pointed to her mouth indicating she was hungry. She then ate 2 bowls of cereal and some yogurt. It is just going to take some time for her to get used to the time change between here and India. Kevin and I are dealing with the time difference yet and trying to catch up on sleep that we missed the last few days.
It has been an incredible journey so far and appreciate all this things people did for us while we were gone and those of who loved and watched the kids. We are blessed and grateful for the blessing of loving friends and family.
Please continue to pray that Anjali will adjust to life here and continue to bond with mom and dad. This is different when lots of kids are around and she wants to be with them and play. Mom and dad don't seem as cool as her sister and brothers.
I'll post some pictures of her first days at home real soon!!

Our last day in India

2008-11-19T07:29:00.002-05:00

We can hardly believe that this is our last day in India already. We have been here over a week and the time has really gone pretty fast. We have had a great time but are looking forward to coming home and seeing the kids. The flight ahead of us seems so long but we are praying that Anjali sleeps on the flight and that she is easily entertained. We are actually in the lobby of the Taj Hotel waiting to meet a woman who has adopted an 11 month old girl from the same agency that we used. We're heading out to dinner with her and then to the airport for our flight to Amsterdam. Today was a fun filled day--we did some sight seeing and quite a bit of shopping. It was fun going to the markets but after a while it gets really tiring having people want you (beg you) to buy what they are selling. Anjali did a good job shopping and loves to try on bangles and necklaces. She thought she would try standing up while we were riding in the car today and when I told her to sit down she didn't like that too much. We think the car seat at home may be a struggle for her as she doesn't like to be confined. We also visited McDonald's today while we were out and about and this little girl loves the french fries.
We have had a great time in India and the joy this little has brought to our lives already is amazing. She has a sassy/stubborn side to her but she is full of love. We are excited for you all to meet her. Thanks so much for all of your encouragement and support on our journey. We'll see you all at home real soon! Please pray for safe travels! Tataa form India!`

We have her visa!

2008-11-18T11:02:00.002-05:00

We arrived at the Embassy this morning just as they were opening and turned in the rest of the paperwork for the visa. We waited for about a half an hour and then had the interview where they ask you a few questions about the adoption agency, the orphanage and our experience with the Embassy. After this we were told we could wait in the lobby and they would try to have it ready within a half an hour. We waited along with another family from New Jersey that we met who was adopting a 14 month old boy. After waiting about 20 minutes we received the visa and we headed off to do some sightseeing. We visited a Muslim mosque, a Buddhist temple and some other sights in Delhi and also did some shopping. We ate dinner tonight at Lodi, a wonderful restaurant in Delhi.
She definitely is opening up to us as we seen her laugh and giggle alot today and talk. It's amazing how quickly she is learning how to communicate with us. We are learning that she is not a little girl who likes to be told no-no. We said it to her a few times today when we were out and about and she said it to us tonight when she didn't want something. When heading back to the hotel room we asked her if she wanted to see Austin, Mariah and Nolan on the computer and she seemed excited about this and started blowing kisses which is what she does when she sees them on the computer. She loves to see the kids, Nana and Grandma Sherlene and Grandpa Jerry on the computer. We feel she is beginning to know who they are and we keep telling her she will see "bahu's" (brothers) and "akka" (sister) soon.
Throughout out the day we were once again reminded how blessed we are to live in the U.S.A. When driving through the city Kevin and I kept thinking that maybe the next mile will be better and less poverty and homeless people and kids and moms begging for food and money but this is not really the case. Today we were approached at one of the intersection by a one legged man begging for food. We didn't have any food to give him but Kevin did hand him a bottle of water. After he gave it to the man, the man threw it and asked for money. He was probably wanting money to go buy a drink.
Tonight we took a walk out side the hotel area and sat on the patio and Anjali had some chocolate candies. Kevin learned that having candy so close to bedtime for her was not the best to do. She had a hard time when we got back to the room and didn't want to go to sleep. When we told her "zoppa" (sleep) she shook her head no. She cried for a while but is resting quietly now. She ate really well today. She loved her yogurt with granola for breakfast, bananas and a granola bar this afternoon and fish and french fries for dinner. She likes her warm milk a couple times a day too.
Please continue to pray for a safe trip home. We are getting very excited to see the kids. We are sure that Anjali is excited to see them as well. She takes a little while to warm up to people she doesn't know but when she does she is irresistible. Thanks again for your prayers and comments on the blog. It has helped to made this a wonderful journey. It has been the trip of a lifetime that is for sure!

A relaxing afternoon

2008-11-17T11:49:00.003-05:00

We had a nice afternoon after Anjali and dad took a nap. We hung out in our hotel room for a while and read books, colored, played with stickers and practiced counting. Anjali counted to 15 in English almost all by herself which we thought was pretty good. We are so proud of this girl and the things that she has already learned in 3 days with us. We know that she loves to watch videos as we brought some along and she enjoyed watching one tonight. We are off to bed now as we have a busy day tomorrow at the Embassy again and then some local sight seeing attractions that our driver would like to show us. We are looking forward to it. We'll post some pics of the fun we had on tomorrows post. Thanks to all of you for your thoughts and comments so far and for the prayers you continue to lift up for us. We appreciate it so much!

More pictures

2008-11-17T06:00:00.002-05:00

Sweet and a little sassy

2008-11-17T04:37:00.002-05:00

You may be wondering what happened to us yesterday but we did not have time to write due to a busy day and our night flight to Delhi. We arrived very late last night in Delhi and went to bed when we arrived at our hotel. We are all doing great and are truly having a great time in India! Being here has made us even more thankful for the things that we have been blessed with.
Sunday was a great day with Anjali. We went for breakfast in the morning and then ventured out to the pool again for the afternoon. The weather in Mumbai was beautiful with sunny skies and warm (high 90's). When we took our her swimsuit she looked at both of us and shook her head no. It is very obvious to us when she doesn't care for something. We still went down to the pool (Anjali with her clothes on) and she took a nap in the shade. We see her little sassy side come out when she doesn't want something, doesn't want dad to help her or isn't interested in doing something. She kinda has this on/off switch for Kevin--sometimes he's Ok and other times she shakes her head no to him when he tries to help her or walk with her. She had french fries at the pool today and loved to dip them in the ketsup. After spending some time at the pool we packed, ate dinner and walked around Juhu beach for a while. It is amazing how many people are down there and how busy it is. Trying to cross the the street is about impossible and you are basically risking your life to do so. Before we left the hotel one of the receptionists who fell in love with her asked her when she was going to come back to see her and Anjali said "soon" in Marathi and then the girl asked her who she was going home with and she said "aa-ee" and "baba" which is mom and dad. It is just the best to hear her say this!
Anjali did great on her first plane ride as she slept the whole way there and did not wake up until we got to the hotel. She was roaring to go after sleeping the whole plane ride (about 2 hours) but I read her a few books, told her it was time to go "zoppa" and she laid right down and went to sleep. This girl is the best sleeper ever. We can see that she is used to sleeping with lots of noise and probably even lights on. She sleeps so good at night!
Monday morning we woke up and needed to be ready to go with our driver to the Embassy at 9:00. We arrived there and completed what we could complete today, had her medical exam done and need to return Tuesday morning at 9:00 to complete the visa immigration interview. She was awesome the whole morning and sticks pretty close to mom's side. Every now and then she'll say something in Marathi and then looks at me and just smiles.
We were going to go out for lunch but she was getting tired (so was dad) so we asked our driver to take us back to the hotel. Anjali and dad are sleeping right now!
We continue to learn so much about her every day. Kevin and I often look at each other and can't even believe how good she is. God's plan could not be more obvious to us and the fact that He placed her in our family is just more evidence that God doesn't make mistakes. We love this little chic to pieces already! She has been so much fun in 2 days that we can't wait to see what the next few bring! Red and yellow, black and white they are precious in His sight--Jesus loves the little children of the world and so do we!

A few more pics

2008-11-15T11:46:00.002-05:00

Our first full day with Anjali

2008-11-15T10:43:00.002-05:00

The day went pretty well considering all of the changes that have taken place for this little girl. We woke up this morning (after she slept for 10 hours straight) and went down to breakfast. Anjali ate a great breakfast with some of it being Indian. We found out she loves eggs with some type of rice mixed with them. She also loves milk which is something that she is used to having but she likes it lukewarm and with a little sugar. After we went to eat we went out to the pool. She wasn't too fond of the pool and was just happy to stand by the lounge chair. She also didn't want much to do with Kevin at the pool. It kind of started after he took off his shirt so we thought maybe it was that she was not used to that at all. Later she warmed up and we took a walk on Juhu Beach (on the Arabian Sea) which our hotel is located on. She was giggling at Kevin after we came up from the beach and were rinsing off our feet with the water sprayer. I took her to the room after this and she said her first words to me since we took her yesterday. She became very expressive when she noticed the bag of hair accessories that I brought along for her. It was great to hear her talk even though I really didn't know what she was saying. She also gave her first kisses to mom and dad today. It was awesome and an amazing feeling especially after her sorrow yesterday.
She even looked at a picture book (thanks so much Dave and Mary)with Dad and repeated most of the words after we said them in English. I am certain she will catch on to English rather quickly. She also said her sister and brothers names today.
We hired a private taxi driver to take us Bandra tonight to do some shopping at the markets. The private drivers are responsible for your safety down there and the whole time they are with you so it was really nice to have him close to us tonight. It is like a zoo out there with so much traffic and so many people. When we arrived back at the hotel Anjali was so tired so I got her ready for bed. She was in one of her phases of not wanting Kevin to help her again. She had some milk, brushed her teeth all by herself and then I laid her down. She was very tired again tonight and fell asleep quickly. She is now sleeping soundly. We have learned so much about this precious child in one day it is amazing.

Some things we have learned about Anjlai:
She loves hard boiled eggs
She loves her hair accessories, bracelets and dresses
She is used to a routine of when she eats and sleeps
Warm milk is one of her favorite things to drink
She prefers her mommy when she is tired
She loves to look at pictures on the computer that we have taken
She doesn't care for the pool (but does enjoy taking a bath)
She is so special--People around here tell us how "lucky she is" but we are the ones that are so blessed to have this little girl in our lives.

Thanks to all of you who have sent us comments--It means more to us than you can imagine when we are so far from home. A, M and N we miss you so much and can't wait for you to meet your little sister. She is going to love you guys! Thanks R & S for all you have done--We appreciate it so much!! Thanks too for your continued prayers for our safety and our bonding with her. This whole experience is almost impossible to put into words and we are so thankful for all of you who have supported us in our call to step out in faith!!

We have Anjali

2008-11-14T11:24:00.004-05:00

What a day it has been. This morning Kevin and I enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and then waited for our driver to get us and take us to pick up Anjali. We arrived at the orphanage and met with Anjali shortly afterwards. We brought along a bag of candy to share with the other kids in her room. She seemed so proud to be able to hand these out to all of her friends and they were so excited to be getting a piece of candy or as the kids call it "chocolate". We then played with Anjali and had a great time just getting to know her. She was doing good this morning and continued with the smiles to both of us and holding our hands. Kevin and I then left for lunch and the social worker told us that we could take Anjali for lunch with us. Kevin and I decided that this would not be a good idea to take her out and then have to take her back for the afternoon for her farewell party and our last meeting with the social worker to discuss her schedule and things like that. Turns out we made the right decision.
We arrived back after lunch and met with the social worker and then went out to see Anjali. She did not come to us as quickly now and looked at us like "you're still here?" and each of us said hi to her. This is when her wonderful world came crashing in on her. She stared to cry quietly and tried so hard to hold the tears back. At this point they still had to have the farewell party for her and she did not even look at us during this. This was heart wrenching but we both knew this was part of the process and that we knew she really did love her friends and staff workers. We talked with the social worker and she said most kids cry and that this is normal. We knew it was but it was so hard to see her heartache. We walked to the entrance of the orphanage and one of the social workers was carrying her and Anjali was crying. Kevin carried her to the cab and she started kicking, flailing and crying loudly. We knew at this point as we were driving away that we needed to let her work it out. She cried for about 5 minutes and then started settling down and sat on Carmen's lap for the hour and a half ride to our hotel. She was very quiet for the ride.
Once we got to the hotel we had a woman who spoke Marathi tell her what we were doing and that we would stay at this hotel for a few nights and then another one after that and then we would fly home on an airplane. I think it was comforting for Anjali to hear someone who spoke her language. The language is a barrier but we know with time that will come.
After we arrived at the hotel she started warming up to us again and wanted to hold our hands. We even seen the smile again tonight.We are getting eye contact and she accepts our affection and hugs and kisses although doesn't give them back yet. That will come with time. I gave her a bath tonight with bubbles and she seemed to really enjoy it. We washed her hair and she looked so cute in her new PJ's.
We are so happy to finally have her with us even though it was heart wrenching witnessing her grief and sorrow today. She is sleeping soundly right now and it only took her about 5 minutes to fall asleep. We are so in love with her already and are so excited for friends and family to meet her. She is a beautiful blessing to our family.

More pictures

2008-11-13T08:11:00.003-05:00

The pictures

2008-11-13T07:37:00.003-05:00

Here are the pictures from today.

A day to remember

2008-11-13T06:28:00.003-05:00

Hello from Mumbai India! We made it on time and things went very well. Thanks for all of your prayers for safe travel as we definitely felt God's peace and protection. After 4 hours of sleep we woke up this morning to go to the orphanage to meet Anjali. The excitement driving there was unbelievable and the driver even got lost a few times so the ride was a little longer than expected. The sights that we saw on the way were at times very difficult to see and it made us really appreciate what we have been blessed with.
We arrived at the orphanage and first of all meet with the director who talked with us about Anjali and told us a little bit about her and how they have been preparing her for her parents to come. Hearing her say "Anjali's parents" was so great to hear. We couldn't believe we were so close to finally getting to meet our daughter. We waited on the couch just inside of the building for the staff to bring her out and we imagined what she would look like and how she would react to us. She came peering around the corner like she was "Miss India" herself. They had dressed her in an Indian dress with shoes and a headband in her hair so she would look beautiful. Many of her friends followed behind her. The staff then said to her "Anjali here are your parents-Mommy and Daddy."She walked over to us and we both held her on our laps.It was a feeling we had never experienced before and it was amazing.
We then hung around the orphanage with her and walked around to the different areas of the building. She was quiet the first half and hour but then did start warming up to both of us. As we took pictures of her several other kids wanted to look at the pictures on the camera with her and they would say her name and then at one point she said "mommy and daddy" while pointing to us in a picture. It was priceless!!
We were able to be in the lunch room as all of the kids ate and she was doing great laughing with the other kids and even wanting mommy to help her finish her food. We even heard giggles from her today.
We'll tell more of the details later but for now we have some pictures of our first meeting today. We are so excited for her to meet her brothers and sister, other family members and friends. God's plan has been revealed to us with the blessing of Anjali. We both walked away today as we left the orphange that God placed her in our family according to His perfect plan. She is definitely a blessing from God.

Our last post from home

2008-11-11T14:26:00.002-05:00

We are leaving for the airport in about an hour!! We can hardly believe this time has come but we are so excited. We are trusting in our great and powerful God who knows the path before us and the journey He has put us on. If you would pray for the following things we would be so grateful. Please pray for safety while traveling (the next 19 hours), our first meeting with Anjali and her bonding/attatchment with us, our health, and that God will be close to our kids at home as we will miss them so much! I know this is several requests but we pray that God will answer each one as He sees fit. We thank you so much for your encourgaemnt and prayers that have led us thorugh this amazing journey and that will sustain us the next nine days. We give God all the praise! Our next post will be from India!! Thanks for praying!

The waiting is almost over!

2008-11-04T22:42:00.003-05:00

In one week from today Kevin and I will be on our way to Mumbai!! We fly to Detroit with a stop in Amsterdam and then on to Mumbai with a total travel time of about 19 hours. We will arrive in Mumbai at about 1:00 in the morning their time Thursday which is about 1:30 in the afternoon Wednesday our time. We are busy packing away and getting all of those last minute details figured out and in place. This has been an amazing journey for our family and we are looking so forward to finally meeting this little blessing that God has given to us. We thank Him for the many ways in which he has guided us in this journey and pray that his protection and peace will be with us as we travel and for the kids at home. Pray that Anjali will do well with meeting us as the world that is familiar to her now is about to change so much. We can't wait to finally see her in person in 8 days!

Fall Camping

2008-10-28T22:24:00.002-04:00

This past weekend the kids did not have school so we went on our annual camping trip to Ludington State Park. We had a great day on Thursday, some rain on Friday and Saturday turned out to be nice so we were able to do some hiking. It was a great family weekend with the kids and some friends. Here are some pictures of the weekend.

We're coming soon Anjali!!

2008-10-27T15:18:00.004-04:00

We can hardly believe we have our tickets and that it is getting so close to meeting our daughter (and sister) for the first time. Kevin and I are leaving for India on Tuesday, November 11 to pick her up. We are so excited to be at this point in the journey and are preparing for our trip to finally hold her in our arms. We have made all of our flight and hotel reservations and have things lined up for getting around India. Our agency has been helpful and does offer recommendations and assistance with some of those things which has been great. We arrive in India very late on the 12th and will meet her at the orphanage on Thursday the 13th. We will be able to see where she has been living and spend some time with her on that day. We will then return on Friday to CWB and take her with us that day and she will be be ours! We spend the first part of the trip in Mumbai and then fly to Delhi on Sunday night. There will be a few appointments at the US Embassy on Monday and Tuesday and possibly Wednesday. At this point we are scheduled to arrive at home on Thursday afternoon November 20 where her big brothers and adoring sister will be anxiously waiting to meet her!

We thank you for your continued prayers for Anjali and for us as we prepare to travel and leave Austin, Mariah and Nolan at home for a while. Pray that all of the final details will be worked out and that we can enjoy some family time before we become a family of 6. We know that there are many who are praying us through and we feel so blessed to have friends and family who will be helping us out. We appreciate all of you! God has blessed us!

The room is ready!

2008-10-19T17:00:00.004-04:00

Before

After

I know it has been a while since I posted but it has been a few busy weeks around here. This week I was working on completing the paperwork that we need to take to India with us to the US Embassy when we are in Delhi. There is a large amount that needs to be completed when we are there for Anjali's immigration visa and travel to the US with us. I know that when we are able to hold her in our arms this will be soon forgotten.

The bedroom is also ready for a new little girl--It has been repainted and has the new beds that Kevin made all ready to go. We can't wait for Anajli to see the new bed we have just for her and we pray that she will sleep it soon. It won't be long and Mariah will have a new sister to share her space with!

We Wonder

2008-10-07T21:38:00.003-04:00

First of all I can't believe how fast time goes. Where did the first week of October go? We have been very busy lately with school and soccer for Austin and preparing for Anjali to come home! We think of her so much and know that each day we are getting closer to bringing her here to her family. We wonder how big or small she will be. We wonder about what food she will like to eat. We wonder about what toys she will like to play with and what videos she may like to watch. We wonder how she will sleep (we hope it is all night). What will she think of her new bed? (I'll post pictures of the new bedroom and bed soon). We wonder if she will like to ride in the car. Will she like to play in the snow which she has never seen before? Will she learn English quickly? What will she think of going to church? What will she think of going to the store? We wonder what she will think of her "new" family.

There are so many things that we are excited to get to know about this precious girl. It is our prayer that God will prepare her for the many changes that she is about to go though and the way in which her life will be so different. We trust Him to provide for her needs and ours as she joins our family. We know that God is in control of all of this and we know he will watch over her in the transition process. We do not have to wonder about that!

We have written guardianship

2008-09-27T10:08:00.005-04:00

We received the news this week from Mary at Holt that the judge in the Higher Court of Mumbai has issued us full guardianship of Anjali. What this means is that we have cleared all of India's court process and there are no objections by their government to us adopting Anjali. This is a big step in our journey to her as often the court dates get cancelled or postponed which means we would continue to wait. But we have cleared their court system and for that we are so thankful because we know that it brings us that much closer to getting our precious little girl.

It is clear to us that once again God is in control of all of the details -big and small and has a plan in place. He is so amazing!! We are now waiting to get the official piece of paper that states our guardianship of her and then her passport. We are hopeful that we will still travel mid to late November. We are not able to schedule the actual travel date until we have her passport in our hands.

Thanks so much for following us along on this journey. We are SO thankful for all of our family and friends who have shown love, encouragement and support to us. It means so much to us and we thank God for the way He has blessed us with so many who walk along side of us through this journey.

What's going on at our house

2008-09-22T22:10:00.003-04:00

Kevin has been busy making some new beds for the girls. Anjali will be sharing a room with Mariah so we are re-doing the bedroom. When it rained so much a couple of weekends ago Kevin was busy in the garage making the beds for the girls. It was good weather for what he was up to. We had seen a picture of some beds that we liked so Kevin being the handyman he is said that he could make them. I am so proud of him and the hard work that he put into making the beds and a window seat to go in between the beds. It is going to look great once they are painted white. Mariah and I shopped this summer for the comforters and we found just what she had in mind. She is excited to have a bright colored room with the polka dot comforters. We are excited to see what Anjali thinks of her new bedroom and sleeping in her big girl bed.

He has a plan

2008-09-19T22:55:00.002-04:00

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13

These verses may be very familiar to many of us and special in various situations. These verse have taken on a new meaning for us since we started the adoption process and we are reminded more than ever in the last several months that God has a plan and knows EVERY detail about His Plan. He knew long before we did that a child born so far away from us in India in February 2005 was our daughter and that he had us chosen as her parents. God is amazing and sovereign! He is in control and guides all events in His plan for His glory. This is not always easy to "live out." There were times we wanted the adoption process to go faster or "according to our time frame" but we knew that God's timing would be perfect and that all things would happen when He planned them to happen. People say that we have had to learn a lesson in patience and yes that is true when you are going through a long process like this. But it is more than patience, it is being still and knowing that in His time he will reveal his plan and trusting Him with all the details. This is not easy either as we want to help God out in this area with how we think things should go.
We continue to learn daily to trust him completely and know that He will protect us and guide us as we prepare to travel to pick up Anjali.
We received a progress report on her yesterday and she is doing well--she likes to go to Bawaldi (preschool) and the report states that she likes to wear new clothes to school. What a girl!! Continue to pray for Anjali and that God will prepare her for this major change in her life. We thank you for your prayers for her and our family!!

Our Family video

2008-09-17T14:38:00.009-04:00

One of the things that we needed to do for the dossier paperwork (things that are sent over to India) was to make a family video to introduce ourselves to Anjali. We had a great time as a family making this video this summer. We sent a slightly different version with more narration over to India so that she could her our voices (and also English words). She is fluent in Indian (Hindi) but does know some English. The staff at the orphanage show this video to her with the hope that Kevin and I will look familiar to her when we meet her. They are also working on English words with her. She sings the ABC's in English and also knows some nursery rhymes in English. We pray that she will continue to learn our language and that she will catch on quickly to it once she is home with us.

Our Journey to Anjali

2008-09-16T16:58:00.000-04:00

Our adoption journey began in March of 2007 when we filled out the application to Holt International. We had been praying about where God was leading us and after several conversations with other couples who had adopted and researching information about various countries we felt called to look into India. We were very interested in the culture and realized how many kids there needed homes. We completed our homestudy in June 0f 2007 and lots of other paperwork that was necessary to get the process going. It was frustrating at times to complete it all but taking it one day at a time was the key.

We received our referral for Anjali (age 3.5) at the end of April 2008. The minute we heard about her we just knew she was the one whom God had planned and specifically selected for our family. We knew the minute we seen her beautiful face that she was meant to be with us. We know that God has a plan for her and our family and we are excited to welcome her to her forever home in a couple of months.

Earlier today I received an email from our adoption agency informing us that Anjali has been told her parents are coming for her. At 3.5 it is hard to tell how much of this she understands but the staff report that she does know when other kids leave. The staff also said that if they ask her if her parents are coming to get her she shakes her head yes.

We received verbal guardianship last week and are currently waiting for the written order that states that. Once we have the written order and have her passport in our hands we can make travel plans to travel to Mumbai to pick her up. We are hoping to be traveling in a couple of months.

Thanks for joining us on this incredible journey and we will keep you updated on our progress as it happens.