Update on our craziness!!!

Just to fill all of you in...we are FRANTICALLY packing/fixing up the "new" place/celebrating Luke's birthday/NEED to buy the kids a gift and trying to stay afloat. Although this has been an amazing year for us with the addition of our son, it has also been probably the second most trying in our almost 20 years of marriage. I keep on thinking of the movie "Fireproof" and I would say we are walking along the edge in the fire. We have gotten burned but God is working on my heart and I know we will come out of this with more faith than ever. The kids are awesome. I will be posting less and less as the move gets closer but thank you for your prayers.

Visit Josie's blog. You won't even believe what God is doing. I am excited to step back and let Him work.

Ronda

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

Many of you know that we have had the funds donated to get our Josie. However, we received word today that Haiti is changing the law stating that you cannot have biological children to adopt. This apparently goes into effect on Jan 7. We have a little work to do between now and then and need to have our dossier ready to go to Chicago on Dec 27. I know the Lord's will cannot be thwarted but the timing is difficult as we are trying to move. I have listed what needs to happen:
1. Complete Dossier
2. Get notarized
3. Get authenticated
4. Get translated into French
5. Send to Chicage to do ? Something with the Haitian consulate. Cannot remember the term
6. Mail by Jan 4 to Haitian IBESR(Equivalent of Children's Social Services) and be logged in by Jan 6 to so we can meet the deadline just in case.

Thanks for the prayers lots to get done. I have peace this is all going to work out and so my heart's desire is to rescue Josie and allow her and Luke to grow up together. God is so much bigger than the government. So pray as we get this going....Please ask all you know who are prayer warriors to intercede on Josie's behalf.
Thanks a bunch.
Ronda

Basketball Marathon week has concluded...

This has been a marathon week for basketball. Both older girls have played lots of ball and we are all worn out!! I am so excited that Christmas is coming up. Our plans to go to Denver are still in the works and we are praying that we can get our house packed up and ready to go as we have a contract on it and are set to close on the 30th. I can't believe the timing of God. I know it is perfect but I would have chosen to be in by now, the house decorated for Christmas, baking, crafting, enjoying the relaxed holiday season.... NOT! I am trying to do a gazillion things at once. I would ask for prayer to survive. I know the Lord will sustain but I am worn out just thinking about it.
Just wanted to let you all know we are alive. God Bless.
Ronda

Luke lost his first tooth today! Its been really loose since he came but was about to fall out today. So he kept having me try to pull it out and finally it just popped out! They were playing dress up when it happened so he wanted to keep on his dress. This is a dress from my wedding. Its his color at least!!

Yves and Luke

This is Pastor Yves. He is such an awesome man. He is a music major and we thoroughly enjoyed singing and guitar playing. I hope we can have him over to our home again and many of you can meet him. His spirit is so gentle. He told us that Luke said that when he grows up he wants to be a pastor. God is going to use our boy in a mighty way!!!

My Handsome Boys..

It is "OLD"(Cold)especially if you have been in the Carribean...

My Dad brought us some firewood today and this his helpers. They each earned a $1. The kids were thrilled.

We had our family pictures taken last week and here are a few of the ones. They all turned out so good. Many of you will be receiving some in the mail.

I have not posted for a while so I thought I would update on everything that I can remember. We had Yves over and Luke did great. He loves to play the guitar and I will post a photo of them playing. Luke's favorite song is "Trading My Sorrows" He was singing it in Creole with Yves and Nini. Yves told him that he would never have to return to the orphanage. That seems to have given him an extra measure of security as he is sleeping better and doesn't seem as worried when we go places. One thing that we think Luke is doing is "forgetting" Haiti. Yesterday he was talking to Nini on the phone and he handed it to me and said "I don't know what she is saying. Here, you talk to her." We can't imagine he would have forgotten his language but we wonder if he is just deciding this is the new way. I have been holding onto his cool accent and the way the Creole words sound but I think he must feel very secure and happy to move forward which is what we want of course. He did answer all of Yves questions in English and Yves talked to him in predominantly Creole. I guess we do have a very smart boy.

Our new thing today is that Luke has a very wobbly front bottom tooth. He is worried it will hurt when he eats but seems to want me to wiggle it a lot. If it were my girls I'd just jerk it out but I am a little afraid he'll think I am a pain inflicting monster if I am not too careful.

We are trying to gear up for Christmas. I am holding out that we will be moving over the holidays and don't want to overdecorate. We are still showing the house and have yet another showing tomorrow evening. This is literally about to send me into craziness. I am so tired of a clean house. So for all of you who can, live in a cluttered mess for me. Ok?

Have a great day. We are looking forward to all of the basketball starting up. Shelbie hurt her other knee yesterday and so we went to the ortho and got a knee brace for that side.

We'll keep you posted-We are starting a blog for Merilda. Someone came forward to donate the funds to begin our adoption. We still have a LONG way to go in raising the money but at least it is our way of feeling we are step out on faith. Our first step is getting things going in Haiti and that means getting her a birth certificate. So she will begin the process as Merilda Josie Leigh Elpenor. Tim's grandma's name was Josie and his grandpa's was Leigh. Josie means "God will add and increase". Look for link...and you can keep updated.
Ronda

How Do you ride a bike?

How do you learn to ride a bike? You just take off the training wheels and then GO! This am when my dad came over Luke took off his training wheels and just went. Our girls took a few tries and even few days. Laci will be next because Luke can't show her up. It was amazing.