YESSSSSSSSSS!

Hotel is booked! tomorrow i send money for tickets Overnight delivery
and we are READY!I AM READY TO MEET MY BOY!I WANNA GO NOW.

VISA'S CAME!

They are here and in my hands....I was so excited ..My husband is outside with the fence guys.When they came i jumped up and down and said WE ARE AFRICA BOUND.. our boy is coming home .Now for Hotel confirmation and Purchase the tickets we are good to go.I am so so EXCITED!

FENCE AND OTHER STUFF!

The fence will be done today!I am excited about it.It is bitter cold today so i feel for those guys working outside in this weather.We were suppose to get a warmer week next week but the forecast has taken that 50 degree away and added another week of bitter temps.
I am praying our passports arrive today!We mailed them 2 weeks ago to get visas done.I would be bummed if this stops us from departing next Saturday.If they don't arrive today i will be calling them.I am so excited to know in just a little over a week My husband and I will be at the home holding our little boy!Please pray everything works out..We have had allot of Obstacles in out paths.

PACKING!

I have been working on packing our luggage.I worry about not having enough diapers or wipes and everything else.I changed some of Jaxson's clothes as he is so so tiny.I packed allot of onsies and stretch shorts and pants as well as one piece jumpers.Instead of taking a tub of wipes i got these disposable bags with flip top on them.They are easier to pack.Its hard to pack 10 days worth of stuff and just hope your not short.All while trying to keep it at the 50 lb weight.
I was told Jaxson does not play with toys.I did pack a few toys that make music and light up.I also packed a photo album with pictures of his brothers and sisters in it.I plan on using these toys to help him gain head control and Muscle strength.What i mean is lay him on his tummy on a blanket on the floor..Put toys out of reach in front of him.If they interest him he will lift his head and try and reach for them.This book i have about cp is awesome and gives many many things we can do to help him gain strength and keep his muscles moving.I am so excited!I dream about holding him the first time..In less then 2 weeks i will be holding him in my arms.
I am scared of flying..I have only flown once and i did NOT like it.Planes are not for me.But my fear of planes cannot keep me away from my little boy.I missed out on so much not going to India both times or at least one of the times to bring home our child.I refuse to do that again.I want to see where my child is from and learn from this trip.Oh i am so excited...Hurry up March 6Th.

WE ARE GOING!

I have been busy setting up our flight.We will be in Liberia for 10 days.We leave March 6Th and arrive in Liberia March 7Th.My husband and I will meet our little man March 8Th.We will apply for Jaxsons visa and then work on getting a travel Letter.We will leave Liberia on March 17Th and be home March 18Th.I cannot wait to hold my sweet little boy.I also got our hotel set up so everything is good to go.
Please pray we get our passports back with Visa's.That is all we are waiting on.

LANDEN UPDATE!

We have seen some issues with Landen lately... He has spent allot of time in time out this past weekend.He tells us no more and more each day.The big one is he runs from us.I have put a call into the children's hospital behavioral clinic and should hear from them in the morning.
Landens behaviors used to be able to be controlled with time outs and taking a favorite toy away but i am seeing more and more of them.Last Thursday he smacked his para twice and pulled her hair.On Friday he smacked his teacher twice.He has never hit us at home.I am concerned with the hitting and pulling hair.I knew one day we would have to address his issues i was just hoping not so soon.
The good news is he has had NO break through seizures at all!We increased his dose on his medication and that has seemed to do the trick.He also is not sleeping with the third dose like he did before.He slept the first couple days but now it does not seem to phase him.We are working with some signs he has learned at school.He refuses to do them with us but we keep trying.He knows Please really well and thank you.He says please and does the sign.Thank you is a word he just cant seem to get.
He still gets stubborn on the dressing and undressing .Its a challenge but i am not giving up.He is one smart cookie.When he wants a certain shirt he can take the one he has on off and put the one he wants on.I know he can dress himself he just don't want too.
I was really shocked this weekend when he went in his room dumped his box of Lego's and played for a solid 30 minutes with them.Then when he was done picked them all up without being told.I took Landen shoe shopping on Saturday he outgrew his tennis shoes and needed a new pair.2 pair were brought over and i said which ones do you like and he picked them out himself.Of course they are gray and orange Nike's...orange is his all time favorite color.The other pair was black white and Burgundy.He wore them for the first time this evening and was walking funny in them.He always walks funny until he gets used to them silly boy.
We all went to town this evening as a family to buy groceries this evening.It was late to late to come home and make dinner so we went to Chinese buffet for supper.Landen loves the hot and spicy soup and the chicken wings they have.He ate really well and then had his favorite pudding for dessert TAPIOCA.I gave him a bath and boy was he funny.He would hand me his duck and say rubber ducky wanting me to squirt water out of it on him.
Overall Landen is doing really well but i am seeing some issues that concern me and will be having these addressed.I will be scheduling his yearly neurologist and Opthamologist appointment tomorrow as well.I set them now because it takes a month or more to get the appointment.
Landen is an amazing little boy who i have watched blossom over the 5 yrs he has been home with us.I am so blessed to be his mommy!

SAD!

We were informed today we may have another road block of getting Jaxson home.I am so upset but on the other hand i can understand the governments concern.I am waiting to hear what is next and will we be able to go or not?My stress level right now is off the charts.Our little guy has lost some weight and it concerns me...Its not a little weight its quite a bit for his already little body.He needs to come home and get some good nourishment in him.
We have a full plate right now at home and our adoption.I can truly say this has been the longest most stressful adoption i have been through.I love our little boy and this is breaking our hearts that we have hit another wave to block his home coming i am so sad.

A NEW FENCE!

We been needing a fence in the yard for awhile.We had planned to wait for summer.But one little boy escaped and for his safety we decided to check and see what fencing would cost.We were not even sure they could be put up in the winter.We had a company come and give us an estimate wow not as bad as i thought.He said best time to buy chain link fence is in the winter because it is allot cheaper.
The next thing i did was to see if we could get help on funding the fence.I made some phone calls and we are getting the fence paid for through a grant.We did put a big down payment out of our own pocket so we could get it at this price.The fence guys will be here sometime this week to begin.
The problem we have now is we are getting one huge snowstorm which may prevent them from getting the fence put up.But it will all work out in the end.When spring comes our son can play outside while daddy and i do some yard work and know he will be safe.
We are putting a large gate in the back so we can pull our camper in and out as needed.I will be buying a padlock for that gate so Mr Houdini does not figure out how to open it.Landen is one smart cookie and his safety is first and foremost.

ITS TIME!

We are setting up travel to go get our little man.Our leave date is March 6Th if all goes well we will be home on March 14Th.I am confirming with agency first to make sure leave date is good.We may have to extend a few more days.In 2 weeks on March 8Th i will be holding our little boy.I have waited forever for this day.No more waiting for anything to be done now.We can go go go.I cannot wait.We are waiting on our passports to come back with our visa's.I forgot all government offices were shut down due to snow storms in Washington.I pray we get them this week.Oh this is going to be the LONGEST 2 weeks of our lives.

STILL HERE!

We have been dealing with some teen issues here.First my 16 yrs old having issues and Now my 14 yr is.The issues they are having are plain outright acting like spoiled brats.I did not raise my girls to act like this.Linda's was over the car and being grounded from driving her dads car.Rebecca's is over something that is unrealistic and is way out there.She wants to go on a trip to California.. why? because she just wants to go there and expects us to pay for it.She is so unrealistic about it she don't even know who would go with her or even figured the cost of a trip like this.On top of it its a NO PERIOD.She is 14 yrs old.. so now i am the bad guy and she is mad at me.
so i have taken a break from most of the things i do online to deal with my GIRLS.Hopefully the drama will stop soon cause i am going to be bald or have gray hair one or the other or maybe both.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Happy Birthday Jaxson Emmanuel...Today you are 5 yrs old.. This will be your last birthday without your family.I am baking a cake in for you.Next year you will have a cake and lots of present.I bought you a birthday present too and will bring it to you when we get their.Hang on Birthday boy we are comming to get you soon.
Love,
Mama

PLEASE GRANT ME PATIENCE!

I emailed the agency asking about the travel letter.No word yet other then they are working on it.I am Not patient i am praying we can be on that flight next Saturday.Please lord dont let this letter stand in the way of holding our son in our arms forever.

KEEPING BUSY!

Today i have no appointments and an awful lot on my mind.We have things i cant go into going on at home as well as waiting on a travel Letter.Today being the day with No appointments i am stripping all beds and washing.I usually like to do these on Mondays but that was not possible yesterday.So fresh bedding today .I also Mopped my kitchen floor it was much needed and will be mopping the bathrooms.
I love the smell of a clean house and i like things to be tidy.. It will stay tidy until Landen gets home and all the toys come out haha.I don't mind though he is good at picking them up if you tell him too.with a hectic schedule having a day to deep clean is great..I want everything in my home in tip top shape before we leave for Liberia.
It is really cold here.... my hot water was trying to freeze up last night and i caught it in time thank goodness.I am so ready for spring i want to open my windows and let the fresh air in.I want to sit out on my deck and have my coffee and watch Landen happily Playing on his swing set.I am ready for winter to be OVER it has been a long cold and snowy winter.
Praying for that Travel Letter!I hope to hear we have it this week so i can book our flights.My arms ache for my little boy.

BLANKET MY AUNT MADE!

She has an embroidery machine and embroiderd Jaxson's name on it.I love this blanket it will be nice to cuddle with.It is packed in his suitcase.

VISA'S MAILED

Another thing marked off our list.We hope to get them the end of this week or early next week.I am praying hard we can still make our flight next Saturday.I hope to know what is going on with the travel letter by the end of this week.I so badly want to go and hold my son.I dream about it.
We are so so close... Now to get the people in Liberia to hurry on that travel letter.

PACKING!

Today i tackled the suitcases that i have been putting off.I got all of Jaxson's packed now and ready.I distributed it in our luggage's and in his.Ours is not ready yet as i keep adding things to it.I am so excited and ready to go get our little guy.Michael and I had a nice talk and it looks as we have worked it out and we will both be going after all.I am grateful for this and i know my children will be in good hands.
We received new pictures today!I wont share them as they have all the children and out of respect for the families i wont post.Jaxson looked so so tiny in these pictures.There were babies in the pic and he looked smaller then them.Maybe it was just the way the photo took.All i know is when i seen him all i could think about was i cant wait to get there and hold him in my arms and kiss those sweet chubby cheeks he has.
Now for that travel letter so we can go get our boy.I am sending our passports off this coming week to get the visa's.I keep praying things continue to come together and we meet our son soon.

NOT SO GOOD DAY!

Michael and I have a big decision to make.One of us may not get to go to Liberia.We have things arising with our family .One of us will more then likely may have to stay home with the children.It is more then likely going to be me.Michael has flown international and knows much more then i do.I am going day by day in hopes this situation will turn around.
I am going ahead and sending our visa application off on Monday for both of us.We both really want to go so badly and hope things change at home.I could use lots of prayers at this time.We are so close to traveling.

HAPPENINGS!

Our travel plans are on hold...Not canceled just on hold...Everything is done that is required at the embassy.The thing we are waiting for is a travel letter this is something that has to be done to bring your child home.If we go without the travel letter this could keep us in Liberia for 10 days to 2 weeks.This is something Michael and i don't want to do.We will if we have to but it will put a hardship on us as well as the person staying at our home with the kids.I still can leave on February 20Th if the travel letter can get done or be typed and ready before we get there.
The GREATEST news of all...Is that there are 5 children from our agency coming home.One of the parents who is bringing home 3 siblings lives close to us and will be traveling with us.The other is hoping to be in country with us.This is so wonderful that all these kids are coming home.I did find out the the home does not need Bottle nipples after all....Our son does..They asked us to bring extra nipples because he is biting the tips off.So i bought several and will take them with me.
Please pray this letter gets done quickly its the Last step we need to leave.

MORE PICS OF JAXSONS BED!

I cant wait to see my son sleeping peacefully in his bed!

We still have painting to do in there but will have to wait for spring to do it.

all the stuff under the crib will not be there when he gets home.Its his toys and bumbo seat .

JAXSON BED... AND BLANKET I MADE HIM!

Jaxson's quilt i made for him

Jaxson's crib waiting for him

I worked for a year on thie quilt!Then we decided it made more sense to change his theme to spongebob to Match Landen because they are sharing a room.His blanket will be used as a spare when his crib bedding needs washed and will also be used to snuggle with.