Another step closer

Today we received an e-mail from Holt telling us that our adoption case has been submitted to the Ethiopian courts.  Our stack of paperwork is finally in the building!  Yay!  I am still in awe of how all of the paperwork gets from here to there and submitted to court in an orderly fashion.  Unbelievable!  Now we are just waiting to be assigned a court date.  Then we can buy our plane tickets!!!!  So excited to meet Jordan.  I just can't explain how my whole body aches to hold her.  Just aches. 

The adoption process in Ethiopia has changed since we adopted Elias in 2008.  At that time, we made one trip to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  The court hearing had already taken place before we went, so we were able to take custody of our son, get his Visa, and bring him home.  Now we are required to be present at the court hearing.  Because it can take 6 to 8 weeks from your court hearing to get your child's Visa, we will be coming home until we get word that the Visa is ready.  Only then can we go get Jordan and bring her home.  So, you can understand how I have been trying not to think on this too much.  We will only be allowed to meet Jordan briefly on the first trip.  It is going to kill me to have to walk away from her, fly back here and wait for that Visa.  Ugh! 

I'm trying to concentrate on the positives.  For example, it will be so great to get to hold Jordan, look her over, and really know that she is okay.  And, because she is so tiny for her age it has been hard for me to really picture how big she is and what size of clothes she will need.  I will be able to briefly assess her development and know what kinds of toys might be good for her.  And, I may have mentioned just getting to finally hold her in my arms!  What a gift!

In the meantime, I know that God is cradling her firmly in his arms.  I am more than okay with that.  I am completely humbled that He would choose me to be Jordan's mom.  This is a privilege I will not take for granted. 

After the referral...

Referral.  Matched with your child.  The day you and your family have been waiting for since November 2010.  O happy day!  Or, kind of not so happy day?? 

Adoption is a beautiful thing.  A clear image of Christ's love for us.  But, just as there is brokenness and sorrow in the story of Christ, there is also brokenness and sorrow in adoption. 

For instance, the glaring reality that a child has lost or been abandoned by their parents.  Every child's story is different.  Their parents may have died.  They may have been abandoned in an alley.  They may have been relinquished by a single parent who was unable to care for them.  They may have been conceived in a manner that is culturally unacceptable.  Or, any combination of these situations.  Bad things happen.  Children are alone.  They need a family. 

Upon receiving that beautiful, longed for picture of your son or daughter, you will also learn the intimate details of how he/she became an orphan - if this information is available.  It will bring you to your knees in sorrow.  Sorrow for your child, sorrow for your child's birth family, sorrow for the people of your child's birth country, sorrow for all of humanity.  This is some heavy, emotional information to process - all while you are expected to be jubilantly showing off pictures and making big plans.  Because, yes, this IS a happy day! 

I have to look at it like this:  Just as there is redemption in the story of Christ, there is also redemption in adoption.  We, as Christians, were saved by our faith and adopted into the family of God.  His word equips us with the strength, love and compassion we need to adopt our children into our families.  Make no mistake, I am not suggesting that we, as adoptive parents, are "saving" any children.  That is not our job.  Our job is to demonstrate Christ's unconditional love to our children every day so that they may know Him - the one who will not leave us as orphans.  John 14:18

So, yes, this is a happy time.  Celebrate!  Our Lord is placing a child into a family.  Psalms 68:6

She resurfaces.......one year later!

Hello all 2 of you who still may wander to this blog occasionally to see if I've made any effort to update.  Because, really, who starts a blog and then neglects to update it for an entire year?!  ME, that's who!  Why have I not updated?  Well, mostly because I've been busy raising two delightful, high-spirited boys.  Trent is now 6 years old and just began 1st Grade.  Elias is now 5 years old and just began Kindergarten.  They both attend Clemons Lutheran School, which we all love. 


Elias - First day of Kindergarten

Trent - First day of 1st Grade




Trent lost his first tooth!

recent family photo

We have also been busy plugging away at another BIG project.  Let me take you back to November 2010 when we formally applied to Holt International Children's Services to adopt a girl from Ethiopia.  Yes, that's November 2010 - nearly 2 years ago!  A lot has happened since then.  Mostly paperwork.  But, alas, on August 24th we formally accepted referral of a beautiful 7-month-old baby girl!  Jordan Elizabeth.  This was a total surprise to us.  We were thinking that it could possibly be another year before we were matched - or, even worse, that this adoption might not happen.  However, when we applied to adopt from Ethiopia, we also applied to Ethiopia's Waiting Child Program.  (basically, that means that we were open to a child with mild to moderate special needs)  Jordan has a partial, unilateral cleft lip that will need to be surgically repaired when she gets home.  Cleft lip is something that we had specifically been open to when filling out our original paperwork.  So, basically, our profile matched perfectly with this baby girl.  God is good!
In light of this new development, I am going to make an ardent effort to keep up with my blog.  Stay tuned to see what the next step in this process will be...

Trent finishes preschool

Trent really enjoyed preschool at Clemons Lutheran School.  He absolutely loved his teacher, Mrs. Pfantz.  She's the best! 
On one of his last days of school, we visited Blank Park Zoo in DSM.  It was 95 degrees that day, but we all had a great time!

 

Trent's preschool likes:  recess, space lab, birthday treats, show & tell, being the leader
Trent's preschool dislikes:  painting, cheese crackers, waiting until it is his turn to speak

That year went fast!  Soon he'll be starting kindergarten.  Where did the time go?

Easter 2011

The boys and I have a blast doing crafts.  We always decorate our kitchen for each holiday season, and it's fun to watch them be creative. 

Here is our Easter egg coloring/crafting:

Staying on task, as usual...

 

Elias discovers a new talent!

Bunny masks!

Clearly, my masks were boring.  Elias had to add a little bling!

 We had a very Happy Easter!

I knew I wouldn't keep up with a blog...

Here's a lame attempt to catch up on a few things since January.

February 2011

Packers win the Superbowl!!!  We love the Pack!  And, we went all out for our family Superbowl party.

Green & Gold cupcakes

Kickoff!

Birth of my beautiful niece, Lainey!

Elias is 4! (Just like Trent!)

Elias is such a good little brother.  He idolizes everything about his big brother Trent.  His whole life is spent watching his big brother and then trying with every fiber of his being to be just like him.  We affectionately call him Elias "me too" Cakerice because it doesn't matter what Trent is talking about or asking for - Elias says "me, too!"  Well, now when Trent says he is 4 years old, Elias can happily and rightfully chime in "ME, TOO!"
Trent takes his role as big brother pretty seriously, too.  He often will step in when I am getting after Elias for something, telling me to "back off!"  I never could have imagined this love that has developed between the two of them.  It's so fun to watch them play together and listen to their cute conversations at night before they fall asleep. 
When discussing birthday plans, Elias was only concerned with the food.  He needed to have pizza and chocolate cupcakes with green frosting on top - you guessed it - just like Trent's last birthday! 



Mmmmm.....



The new bike!

And here are a couple of cute Elias quotes from his birthday celebration:
after opening a gift - "My hit the jackpot!"
after opening a card with money in it - "Cash!"
I think we're the ones who hit the jackpot!  Happy Birthday, Elias!  We love you sooo much!

Cakerice Christmas 2010

This Christmas was especially fun with the boys being 3 and 4 years old.  They started getting really excited for Christmas back in mid November, and they were about to burst by the time Christmas morning finally got here! 
We started our celebration at Trent's preschool program on December 17.  His class dressed up as angels and sang "Away In A Manger."  He informed me as we were leaving for the program that he was going to sing the loudest!  (Every class has one of those, you know!)  He did a great job, and we could definitely hear him singing!  Trent goes to preschool at Clemons Lutheran School.  He loves it!
We had a great time with Al's side of the family on Christmas Eve, including an epic snowball fight and sledding behind the 4-wheeler.  Good stuff!
We spent a quiet Christmas day at home enjoying our gifts and eating Al's homemade cinnamon rolls.  Yum!
The day after Christmas we headed to New Providence to celebrate with my family at the Roundhouse.  This is always a highlight for the boys.  They get to run off some of their cabin fever in the gym with all of their cousins.  Fun time!  Here are a few photos from Christmas 2010.



Christmas Card



Grandma & Grandpa Harrell



My favorite pic - My brother, Tom, and his son Kayne



Elias opening his scooter - the only thing he asked for for...

...and the reaction!  I think it was very nearly the last gift he opened.
Big brother is pretty excited about it, too : )

I am so thankful for my family!  We always have a great time when we are together.  We're very fortunate to have all of our family so close and able to gather together for the holidays. 
We also attended a wonderful Christmas Eve service at our church, along with a wonderful day after Christmas service.  The gifts are fun, the food is great, and family time is wonderful - but all that pales in comparison to the birth of Jesus Christ!  I hope you all had a wonderful, Christ-centered Christmas! 

National Adoption Month

If you know me, you know that my family doesn't look like most other families.  We are a colorful bunch.  We don't all share the same DNA.  But, we are a family all the same.  I believe every child is a gift from God.  Sometimes this gift is received through the miracle of pregnancy and delivery, and sometimes this gift is received through the miracle of adoption.  I have been blessed with the privilege of experiencing both of these miracles.  There is no way to compare one to the other.  There are commonalities, of course:  both result in the addition of a child to your family, and most importantly, experiencing God's undeniable presence in each process.  When I was expecting my eldest child, I was sure that I would never feel that close to God or so sure of His presence ever again in my life.  That held true until I experienced the gift of adoption.  I cannot describe how it feels to be an adoptive parent, reflecting on all of the anticipation, waiting, stress and uncertainty, only to find that the one special child from halfway around the world who was meant to be yours somehow found his way to you.  Indescribable!  God's presence in adoption is undeniable.  His hands are all over it.  God sets the lonely in families... Ps 68:6


Two precious gifts

November is National Adoption Month.  If you have ever considered adoption, I urge you to take that next step in faith.  I'd be happy to assist you in finding an agency that is right for you.  Or, maybe you are not at a place in your life where you can adopt, but you have a heart for children.  There are many ways to make a difference in the life of an orphan:  child sponsorship, foster care, or give to organizations like the James 1:27 Foundation to help families just like ours.  Above all else, PRAY for all of the children around the world who are going to sleep lonely, helpless and unsure of their future tonight.  And, pray for those families who have stepped out in faith and are answering the call to care for orphans by bringing them home to a permanent, loving family.

Monday, Monday

I had a fab day today with my boys!  After waiting not so patiently for me to run my errands in DSM, we set out in search of the perfect Halloween costumes.  And, here's what we came up with:



Elias as Darth Vader
(looks like Darth could use a new pair of socks)
Trent as ????
(doesn't matter - he has a gun that makes noise when you shoot it)

Good stuff!  I am blessed!

Orphan Sunday

Please join me along with the James 1:27 Foundation for Orphan Sunday 2010 - Sunday, November 7. Many events are planned in churches all across the country.  There is sure to be an event near you!  Get involved!  There are so many EASY ways to be involved in orphan care - child sponsorship, supporting families who have stepped out in faith to adopt a child or provide foster care, PRAY, give to a reputable organization that helps families finance their adoptions. 

Things

Things.  I am happy to say that today I am no longer a slave to my things.  I have been in the past - before God opened my eyes to other countries, cultures, and peoples, and urged me to start living beyond myself.  It is so very easy to fall in love with worldly things and base our self worth on the number of shiny new things we possess (or, rather, the shiny new things our lenders can repossess).  Here in America, even those who are considered poor usually have safe drinking water, an air conditioned and heated roof over their heads, a new flat screen TV in their living room, cell phones, computers, transportation, education, and food to eat.  Meanwhile, at least 80 percent of humanity lives on less than $10 a day.  Ten dollars a day.  And, it is much less for many of that 80 percent.  These people, these human beings, are forced to make impossible decisions every day of their lives - will I eat today so I'll have the strength to work, or will I feed my children? - which child will I let go in order to be able to care for the others?  This is real.  I have seen their faces.  And, the images haunt me.  It is these images that make America's fascination with new cars, big new houses, the "right" neighborhoods, the "right" schools, the "right" clothes, and the debt that goes along with it so absurd to me.  I know this does not apply to every American.  If this is not how you live, I applaud you, because you are one of the few.  It is very hard to live in this world and not be of it.  Many times as I pull up to my son's preschool in my 1996 Buick Roadmaster station wagon I find myself looking at the other vehicles parked there and feel a twinge of jealousy, or maybe a bit ashamed of my humble mode of transportation.  But, as I am unbuckling my children from their car seats, I look into the eyes of my youngest son and am reminded of all that is good and true - none of which includes a car payment.
A couple of years ago I ran across this prayer, and I have been praying it ever since.

Lord,

May we who have plenty live simply,

so that others may simply live.

Short and sweet, yet it encompasses everything that I want to pass on to my children.  I don't want them to get caught up in the things of this world.  Life is too precious to be wasted in the pursuit of worldly things. 

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy,

and where thieves break in and steal,

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy,

and where thieves do not break in and steal.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

Matthew 6:19-21

2 Years Ago...

September is special for our family because two years ago on September 5, we arrived home with our second beautiful son, Elias, from his birth country of Ethiopia.  And, when I say beautiful, I mean total ladykiller.  He is just an amazingly beautiful human.  I am in awe that God has allowed me the privilege of parenting him.  Here are a couple of pics from our first few days home.

See what I mean?  I love him fiercely.  It's hard to believe that it has been two years, yet it also feels like he has always been with us.  I had to work really hard to get that first smile out of him when we were in Ethiopia, but it was soooo worth it!  And, he has been charming everyone with it ever since. 

He was such a little peanut when we first met.  He was 19 months old, but he was just beginning to fit into 12 month clothes.  He was walking, but it was slow and guarded.  In Ethiopia, the children are carried most everywhere for most of their early lives.  Many of the children we met, including Elias, had very weak leg muscles.  Since he has been home, he has grown by leaps and bounds.  He will always be small in comparison to the rest of our rather giant family, but as you can see he is as healthy as can be.



Showing off the fort he made.

 

A couple of chuckleheads.

I love you, Elias!  Thank you for two years of those heart melting smiles!

Change

September has brought about big changes in the Cakerice household routine.  Trent started preschool at Clemons Lutheran School.  I was really worried about this as Trent really likes his routine and really dislikes having it changed.  I tried to prepare him as best I could - really talking it up, telling him how great school was going to be and how much fun he would have.  Thankfully, it worked!  He absolutely loves it! 
Elias, on the other hand, is having a hard time being away from his big brother.  He cries when we drop Trent off and tells me repeatedly how much he loves Trent until, at last, it is time to pick him up again.  Poor guy!  I think he is starting to enjoy his time alone with me, but I'm clearly not a satisfactory substitute for his beloved big brother.


Trent ready for his 1st day of preschool

 

Exploring his classroom



June 2006 - Trent is born!

God is good!

Trent Alan Cakerice.  This is what a 10 lbs. 5 oz. baby looks like, my friends!  Notice how small the nurse's hand looks in comparison with my big, beautiful boy! 

We became a bit of a freak show at the hospital.  Several nurses stopped in, exclaiming, "I can't believe you had a 10 pound baby!"  Apparently, at my pre-delivery weight of 207 lbs, I didn't look pregnant enough to be carrying this child.  Are you kidding me?

Trent meeting his Aunt Rachael and Aunt Rochelle. 

I can't believe this sweet little guy is 4 years old now.  He was such a beautiful baby.  And, look at all that hair!  Trent, I love you SO MUCH!  It is a privilege to be your mom.

Welcome!

Okay, so I finally decided to dive into this weird cyber-journaling thing called blogging.  I suppose it will consist mostly of my family and our daily lives so I can keep extended family members in the loop.  However, you should know that I am passionate about orphan care, and this topic, along with other random items of interest, will occasionally pop up (sometimes at length).  See, I'm not blogging because I feel that I have anything profound to say, so much as I just have a lot to say ;) 
I'm a stay at home mom to two busy boys, and I'm blessed to be married to a great guy.  Just when I think my cup is full, God goes and heaps on more blessings!  I don't deserve it, but I'm trying to enjoy every minute of it.  (Yes, even those excruciatingly long minutes of two preschoolers engaged in a full out fit in the middle of our church parking lot).
Over the next few weeks, I'm going to take a walk down memory lane and share with you some of the good, the bad, and the ugly of how we became the colorful family of four we are today.