The Elliott's

Hanging out at Ko Olina

2010-08-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

Jackson is still pretty timid when it comes to the beach. I am still timid when it comes to taking 5 kids to the beach by myself :) So the solution is Ko Olina lagoons. The kids spent the morning "surfing" and playing in the sand. I spent the afternoon cleaning as they were exhausted and took LONG naps!!!

It's A Date

2010-08-07T14:54:00.000-07:00

Even with the chaos of Residency and 5 little ones, we try to make the time once a month to go on a date just the two of us. It's hard to believe that we only have 3 years left here. Because time has a way of flying by we have been intentional about seeing some of the sights. I have not been to Pearl Harbor since I was here on my Senior trip, so we headed out for the afternoon. It was good ol' Souther food and sweet tea and then a trip to the memorial. It was a wonderful afternoon and once again we were reminded of those who have given their lives so that we may have freedom.

A'hoy

2010-08-07T14:44:00.000-07:00

One fun thing about home schooling is getting out of the every day routine and doing something different. They are filming the Pirates of the Carribean here on Oahu and we were able to go see the Black Pearl. We drew treasure maps, learned about pirates and dressed up to go see the famous ship.

Happy 4th of July

2010-08-07T14:35:00.000-07:00

Yes, I am a little late, but hey, I can't do it all :) It was fun celebrating the 4th of July together. hamburgers, hot dogs, corn, watermelon...BUT the kids enjoyed the fireworks the most!!!

We love visitors!

2010-08-07T14:29:00.001-07:00

One perk of being stationed in Hawaii is that we can talk people into coming out to visit. We had a fabulous time with Neill and Karen. We were able to sneak out without the kids for some sushi. Just hang out a bit and spent a day on Kaneohe Bay. They are a true blessing to us and we loved having them here.

Jackson turns 3 1/2 !!!

2010-08-07T14:17:00.000-07:00

Buzz Lightyear and Woody!!! Toy Story was the theme of Jackson's half birthday. His real day is January 1st. He is really coming into his own and it's fun to watch him gain confidence and grow. He had a wonderful day. We took all the kids to see a movie and then pizza and cake to wrap up the day. He adds so much joy to our family and we couldn't imagine life without him.

Mykah turns 4 1/2!!!

2010-07-07T17:46:00.000-07:00

Mykah's birthday is December 26th so we wanted to celebrate when it wasn't in the mix of all the holiday activities. She had so much fun. I always let the kids choose what the theme is to be and she wanted princess Tiana from Princess and the Frog. We started the day with the usual birthday breakfast and then spent the day celebrating. She had so much fun and we were able open gifts with Grandma and Nana on Skype.

20th Reunion

2010-06-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

I had a wonderful week away in California. Chris is a trooper and held down the fort while I was gone. It truly is hard to believe that it has been 20 years since we graduated. I would like to think that we are like a fine wine and are only getting better with age. I truly feel blessed through my high school experience. I really believe it was the glory days of Brookside. I have beautiful friends that have stood the test of time! They are amazing women and we had a lovely day at Wine and Roses. It is good to just be together and walk whatever road is before us together, no matter if we are experiencing good or touch times. I spent a great deal of time with the Lambdin's and enjoy quiet conversation with the Howen's. It is good reminder that no matter how hard it may be to leave, I am always refreshed when I return. I am hoping to return this Fall for a long weekend. It was a great weekend and I am so glad I was able to be a part of it.

Here's to another 20 years!!

Happy 34th Birthday Chris!!!

2010-06-06T00:09:00.000-07:00

Chris was in D.C. for a week prior to his birthday, so we took the entire weekend to celebrate, when he returned. He spent the day with Colin doing "guy time". Followed by cake and ice cream. The fun part was heading to Waikiki for the night at the Hale Koa and a nice dinner together. Kayleigh and Megan watched the kiddos as their gift to Chris and then they met us at the hotel the next afternoon for some fun at the pool. Happy Birthday my love!

Memorial Day

2010-06-05T23:52:00.000-07:00

We headed up to The Punchbowl to honor those that lost their lives, in order for us to have freedom. Even with 6 (we had a friend along) little one's it was a great morning of remembering those that served. Colin enjoyed looking for those that earned a medal of honor and we are going to try to look them up and see if we can find their story. Many of the graves were from those that lost their lives during Pearl Harbor. It was that tragic day, but through the pride that she felt for her country, that led my Grandmother to enlist in the first Women's Army Corps during WWII. Chris' father served in Vietnam and retired from the U.S Army. My uncle served in the Navy, Chris' uncle served in Air Force and Chris is currently serving in the Army. We have a deep military history in our family. We also have many friends who are serving overseas as I type this and we are thankful for the risk that they take each and every day. It was a really good day and it was wonderful seeing history come to life for Colin.

Gracen turns 2

2010-06-05T23:11:00.000-07:00

While at Barber's Point we celebrated Gracen's 2nd birthday. Some of my family that I have not seen in decades were vacationing on Maui and flew out to help us celebrate. I guess being the youngest of so many, she is very independent. She potty trained herself. She can hear a can of soda opening a million miles away and she is a happy girl when she sees the purple straw from coffee bean and tea leaf. She can make us all laugh. She never wants to wear clothes and can hold her own in any confrontation! She is such a joy and I am only sad that we no longer have our sweet, baby, Gracen. Now we have independent, toddler, Gracen!! A special thanks to Heather for the wonderful pictures,

Barber's Point

2010-06-05T23:05:00.001-07:00

One of our favorite spots is Barber's Point. They are 1950's cabins that the Navy owns and are very simple. BUT we feel a million miles away. No cooking, no cleaning. Mornings on the beach finding crabs and drinking coffee. It is a great break from the daily grind of medicine. We spent a few days out there in May, we only wish it were longer.

Fun in the Sun

2010-06-05T22:24:00.000-07:00

Cinco de Mayo

2010-06-05T22:15:00.000-07:00

Or in our house it is Seis de Mayo. With Chris' schedule, we have learned to be flexible. Although Rachael, our local Mexican, did make enchiladas for dinner. We decided to have breakfast burritos for breakfast. The fun part about home schooling, is that you can take an ordinary day and turn it into something fun. A little geography, a little history, throw in some math while cooking and school it is!!!! The pinanta is just for fun :)

Swim Lessons

2010-06-05T22:08:00.000-07:00

Mykah and Jax started swimming lessons last month. They are doing very well and are getting much more comfortable in the water. That is, if they stay close to the stairs. They are not too ready to venture out just yet!

Play Time

2010-06-05T21:31:00.000-07:00

Since I am well over a month behind, I thought that I would catch everyone up through pictures!

As you can see, we are having lots of outside fun here in Hawaii.

Dying Eggs...Just some cute pictures

2010-04-05T19:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter! He is risen indeed!!!

2010-04-05T19:22:00.001-07:00

We had a wonderful Easter. I kept thinking about Mykah and Jax and wondering what was going through their minds. All of the traditions that we just do without thinking and it was an entire new world to them. Jax wins the cute award for the day. He found a blue end right away and was happy as a clam. You would have thought he won the lottery and wasn't concerned at all about filling his basket at all. Life was good!

The girls were all beautiful in their dresses and Mykah was so proud of her new dress. It was a great day and it wrapped up blessed Holy Week.

"It is Finished"- Good Friday

2010-04-02T22:35:00.000-07:00

Maudy Thursday

2010-04-01T23:28:00.000-07:00

We have been celebrating Maudy Thursday with a Seder Meal over the past few years. We watch the Prince of Egypt in the afternoon and then we have a shortened version of the dinner. We basically just review what the symbols mean and how it all points to the Lamb of God. Colin is really starting to enjoy it and next year we will implement foot washing. It is so much fun to see them grow in their knowledge of the Lord through holidays and traditions. It is a great reminder that all the time and energy is worth it.

Soccer Daze

2010-03-30T23:43:00.001-07:00

We have officially wrapped up Colin's first soccer season and he had SO MUCH fun. He is looking forward to soccer camp this summer.

Palm Sunday

2010-03-30T23:30:00.001-07:00

We have been celebrating Lent together as a family and we entered into Holy Week on Sunday. With little ones, sometimes it is tough to really bring home the meaning of the holidays but we are hoping that by building a sense of tradtion now, that they will be pointed to Christ and all that he has done for us. We had dinner together and then the kids were able to act out out the passage from Matthew about Christ entering the city on a donkey. Chris was the donkey ( I will let you read into that :) ) and the kids ran around with palm branches singing Hosanna, Hosanna. (With an occassional beat the sibling with the palm branch thrown in). May this Easter season bring you the peace that only His resurrection can offer.

MY Life is a Zoo aka A Trip to the zoo

2010-03-30T23:24:00.000-07:00

We had a meeting in town a few weeks ago and decided to head from their to the zoo. The kids had a great time and it was fun to just be out together as a family.

Boys Camping Weekend

2010-03-30T23:19:00.000-07:00

Last weekend the boys headed out to Bellow's to go camping for the weekend. Of course while they are gone, Gracen cracks her head open and needs stitches. So much for having a Surgeon around when you need it :)

The boys had a wonderful time with lots of "Secret Missions" aka bringing a bag of golf balls from the driving range home, putt putt golf, beach time and smores. Not sure Jax understood all that was going on, but he sure did look cute in his head lap!

Happy 4th Birthday Madeline!

2010-03-30T23:08:00.000-07:00

Four years ago, our sweet, yet sassy Maddie was born. It is hard to remember why we ever called her mellow Maddie, now she is head strong and determined like her parents. We had a wonderful day. Playing with the fam with the new, play kitchen. A Tinkerbell birthday breakfast with presents. Pizza and Co op and a spaghetti dinner per her request. It is so much fun to watch her grow. I can't believe she is 4 and the real tough part is that if I blink, she will be 14!!!!

Hanging out with the Hollidays at the Hilton

2010-03-29T16:29:00.000-07:00

One down side of living in an area where there is a large military community is that those that you grow to love, move. The kids LOVE Joshua and Braden and it was hard for them to see them leave. They are headed to Virginia and we were able to enjoy an afternoon of fun in the sun at the Hilton in Waikiki before they left. We will miss them behind here on a day to day basis, but know that we will see them soon.

Catching Up!

2010-03-29T16:24:00.000-07:00

Life just continues to get busier, but I think that is the case for most. We are gearing up for Easter and Maddie's 4th birthday. Here are some pictures to bring you up to speed.

Jackson's Extreme Make Over

2010-03-06T11:33:00.001-08:00

Jax needed quite a bit of dental work done. We have had multiple appointments and March 5th was the big day. The surgery lasted a few hours and all but 2 teeth needed some type of work done. The Surgeon's and the Dentist did a great job. They only ended up pulling 6 teeth and were able to save the rest. He is a tough, little guy and won the hearts of all the Nurses and Staff. We are hoping that this is the last of appointments for awhile. Now to get him to grow and gain some weight!!

Dreams still come true!

2010-03-06T11:13:00.001-08:00

Over 10 years ago, Chris and I dreamed of going to Colorado together. Well, thanks to some WONDERFUL friends and a medical conference in Keystone, I was able to join him for a few days. We relaxed, went ice skating between sessions and just drank hot chocolate and watched the Olympics. It was heavenly!!

Ash Wednesday

2010-02-17T18:38:00.000-08:00

Many people ask why we celebrate Ash Wednesday as well as many of the other holidays. We really value investing the time and energy into the children by teaching the meaning behind all of the liturgical holidays. It is a great way of integrating our faith into our every day lives. We spend time as a family during the Lenten season in a time of service, self-sacrifice, repentance and remembering the redemption through the cross.

Symbolism of the ashes

Death comes to everyone
We should be sad for our sins
God made the first human being by breathing life into dust, and without God humans are nothing more than dust and ashes
Symbolize the way Christ's sacrifice on the cross was an atonement for sin and replaces the Old Testament tradition of burnt offerings.

"Turn away from sin and believe the Gospel. Remember you are dust unto dust you shall return".

We do a devotional service on Ash Wednesday, that incudes discussing the meaning of Lent. Talking about ways to sacrifice our needs for the needs of others. As well as alms giving. Each year during Lent we make a small financial sacrfice in an effort to give back. This year we are saving change (something the kids can relate to) to help send our dear friend Megan to Ethiopia to work with orphans.

Here is some information on Lent. I have pages and pages on it, but I thought that I would steal Beth Lambdin's description :) http://www.bethlambdin.net/

"In most Christian denominations, Lent is the forty-day liturgical season of fasting and prayer before Easter. The forty days represents the time Jesus spent in the desert, where according to the Bible, he endurede temptation by Satan.

The purpose of Lent is preparation of the believer-through prayer, repentance, alms giving and sacrifice-for the observation of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus as celebrated during Holy Week.

Lent lasts from Ash Wednesday through Holy Saturday. The six Sundays in Lent are not counted among the forty days because each Sunday represents a "mini Easter", a celebration of Jesus' victory of sin and death."

The color of Lent is purple, a sign of penanace and prayer.

We eat pretzels on Wednesday's during lent as the the tradition of monks many years ago first made them to remind others to pray during this time. A fun tangible way for the kids to learn about prayer and how it ipacts our daily lives.

First Day of School

2010-02-17T18:22:00.000-08:00

The first day of school for most children is a big deal. For Mykah, it was a HUGE deal!!! She has been asking to go for weeks. We wanted to wait and give her some time to adjust to all of the changes. We would take Maddie and she was able to see the school for about a month and now it was HER day!!! I honestly think she realizes what a blessing an education is. She had a great time and was absolutely exhausted when she came home. The boys had some fun of their own while the girls were gone!!! Gracen was ready to take everyone...coffee included!

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

2010-02-14T22:05:00.000-08:00

I know that the kids are young but I want them to grow up with fun memories of the holidays. We had a nice dinner together (as quiet as it can be with 5 kids) and talked a little about what we love and appreciate about one another. I worked today, so where we usually have a steak dinner, we had fondue :) No one seemed to mind.

Stay-cation

2010-02-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

Living in Hawaii makes for a great stay-cation! We were able to take care of some business like doctor's appts, immunizations, dental appts, taxes, the list goes on...but we were able to relax and enjoy some down time together.

Due to some sneaky planning and LOTS of help, Chris and I were able to escape for two nights to Ko Olina. On Monday the kids joined us and we just played in the pool and enjoyed some shaved ice.

We truly cherished the two weeks and it is hard to believe that it is over all ready. Chris heads back to work on Monday and it is back to business as usual!

Out of Order

2010-02-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

That could be the new theme to my life, but in this situation I am referring to the pictures. I found these and thought that I would share. Our last day in South Africa, I took the kids to the zoo for the first time and they had a great time!!!

A Day in the Life

2010-02-04T23:04:00.001-08:00

Every one keeps asking me what it is like with 5 kids under 5. I thought that I would show you some pictures!!!!

First THREE weeks!!

2010-02-04T22:25:00.000-08:00

Wow! I can't believe that it was three weeks ago that Carrie and I were on planes both heading to Atlanta from opposite parts of the world. That's almost a month!! It definitely doesn't seem like we've been together a month...mostly due to the 2 week time warp I experienced upon our return as I lost myself in the library in ways that reminded me of medical school! I was definitely thankful that my research year allowed me to study like this, but even more thankful when my test was over last Sat afternoon! I'll get the results early in March and am just trying to rest in the peace of knowing that I gave it my best and stayed focused through all the changes in our house. Yet again, thank you Carrie!!

So, this week has been SO enjoyable getting to play with the kids. Definitely weird all of a sudden having a three year old (that's smaller than our baby Gracen) and four year old that don't have any of the same expectations as their ages. They are doing so well and learning so much, daddy just has to remember to be patient and remind himself to help them learn not be frustrated!

They are both so precious though and it's been wonderful to see their personalities and to truly experience them. Jackson is the sweetest thing ever and I just want him to be the size of the things he wants to do!! I can't get over how tiny he is, but he's going to catch up with time! Please! Carrie had told me how much I was going to love Jackson because he's such a snuggler, but that role has undoubtedly belonged to Mykah. You can tell she really needed a daddy and she finds so much comfort in my arms and reassurance. She's definitely got some spunk in her and I now somehow have acquired three beautiful girls with amazing wills that mirror and will one day challenge even their mother's! That's saying a LOT! I can wait till the teenage years and beyond for sure! We just pray those wills are put to great works for the Lord!!

Carrie mentioned the other day how "quiet" it was when I had a Jackson and Colin at the store and she "only" had three of them! Wasn't too far back that we thought three was wild! Getting anything done during the day is nearly impossible, so quite the sigh once they finally go to bed and we can rest...I mean accomplish things. Going to bed had been going well until Gracen learned the other day how to consistently get out of her crib at her will and today even learned how to open the door on her own as we found her in the kitchen when she was supposed to be napping!! Twice a minute for about 15 min of repeated trips into the room to put her back in the crib tonight before I finally laid down on the floor next to her for a 1/2hr before I low-crawled out of the room Ranger-style. You love them learning until they learn what they want, not what you want them to! :)

Anyhow, enjoy the pics!

Also, please pray for our friends Melanie and Jeremy. Melanie arrived a week before Carrie in Nov and is still there with no signs of the end in site! We need God to move for them and reunite her, their three adopted kids and their 15mth old girl with their daddy and brother and sister back home in OK!!!!!!

Welcome Home!

2010-01-24T17:03:00.000-08:00

I will get Chris to put some pictures up, we are still all over the place, but I felt I should write something to update everyone. Tomorrow, marks one week home! Everyone seems to be adjusting well. We can't believe how well Mykah and Jax are doing. The are warm and friendly and don't seem to know a stranger. Bed time was interesting where Mykah would just scream for a while and Gracen and Maddie didn't really know what to do with that, but she seems to be relaxing. We took the kids to see the doctor on Tuesday and did some labs and a physical and everything looks fine. We will go back in a few months to recheck some labs and follow Jax's height and weight. He is currently in size 12 month clothes. Dinner is interesting, trying to get 5 kids to sit and eat and use their manners. Let's just say it will never be boring. Colin last night told me that we need to adopt another brother, so I guess he is coping pretty well. We alwas did say we would have 6! Mykah asks me whenever I go somewhere "Mom, are you coming back". That is tough and I wonder what is going through their minds. Jax goes to the dentist on Monday and it looks like he is going to need a good bit of dental work, but it will come.

Chris' mom leaves on Monday night and Marlene leaves on Friday. They have been a HUGE blessing as we settle back in. I don't know what I will do when I need to cook dinner and do dishes again :) Chris has been studying for an exam that he has on Saturday and then he has the first two weeks of February offf and we are really looking forward to some family time. We will also be spending some time with a few families that are considering adoption. That is very exciting!

All in all, we are doing well. It is great to be home and the only thing missing is that our dear friend Melanie is STILL trying to get home. Please pray that by some miracle, she would go to court this week and make it to her brother's wedding the first week of February.

I will write more this week and truly want to say THANK YOU to those that made all of this possible!!!

Jackson turns 3!!!!

2010-01-03T19:12:00.000-08:00

It has been an interesting week. I met with the lawyer to sign the paperwork on Tuesday. He was hoping to make it to court on Wednesday, which then turned into Thursday. I am not sure on the details, but he was told to come back on Monday. Monday is now a holiday, which brings us around again to Tuesday. How quickly an hour appt. can turn into a week-long ordeal in Africa.

We are hoping to go to court on Tuesday, Jan 5th, and we need your prayers.

1. That we go to court on Tuesday, Jan 5th, all the paperwork is in order and the adoption is
finalized.
2. That I am able to get birth certificates and passports by Thursday, Jan 7th. Usually this takes
3-5 days.
3. That I am able to get a bus to South Africa on Thur, Jan 7th, and make my doctor's appt on
on Friday, Jan 8th.
4. Pray everything goes smoothly in South Africa and we make our 17 hour flight to Atlanta on
Thursday, January 14th.
5. Pray for Chris to have wisdom in getting the kids' tickets as prices have skyrocketed ($1900
each) since I purchased mine back in Nov ($800 each)!

In all honesty, this has been an emotionally draining process. The kids back home (Big one included!) are ready for me to come home (not to mention Pam!!) and I am more than ready to be with them. It's hard to believe that when all this is said and done, I will have been gone for over 8 weeks. Chris is going to meet me in Atlanta. It will be the first time that he will meet both Jackson and Mykah!! What a moment that's going to be. We are going to spend a couple of days with my mom, her husband and my Grandmother and then fly back to Hawaii.

We are having a "Welcome Home" party for the kids in Atlanta on the 16th, and would love for you to drop by if you live in the area (more details to follow). I doubt we will be flying anywhere soon with 5 kids and we felt it would be a good way to spend some time with friends and family before heading back to Hawaii. (Thank you Linda, Lindsey and Mrs Bowyer for hosting this!)

We did wrap up the week on a couple of positive notes. Melanie's children did NOT need to spend the weekend with their birth father, and that was an INCREDIBLE answer to prayer!! We truly appreciate all those that prayed against this. Also Jackson turned 3 on January 1st! He loved every minute of his special day. His toothless grin shows that! He unwrapped his coloring book and crayons and you would have thought he won the lottery!

It was a great reminder that no matter how difficult this journey might be, it is worth every minute. Not only are 2 childrens' lives going to change forever, but there are 5 other Elliott's who will also never be the same!! This journey has taught me so much and I am not even sure how to process most of it. I have felt extremely powerless throughout the time I've been here. It's been difficult, but in many ways, it has been a good reminder of how these children have felt all of their lives. Mykah and Jackson's mother passed away in November of 2008, and like many children here, they have been raised by other children and some of their extended family since that time. A little over a year later and here we are. God was working back then to bring us all together. I know He will complete His good work. The Lord knows how much our hearts long to be together as a family, and no matter how things may appear, He remains in control and I can rest in Him (as hard as that can be at times with someone with control issues :)

Thank you to everyone that has been walking this journey with us! We look forward to continuing to share the stories as the real fun is about to begin!!

Mykah Turns 4!!!!

2009-12-28T23:20:00.001-08:00

We were invited to celebrate Christmas with another family who lives locally. He is a GREAT cook and it was nice to have a delicious dinner and let the kids from the same orphanage be together in their new setting. She works for the Peace Corps and he works for the American Embassy. They are adopting a darling 2 year old girl and it was good to just relax together and take a break from all the stress of the adoption.

I asked if it would be okay if we had a cake for Mykah's birthday and they graciously agreed to do so. So here she is in all her splendor!! I brought a Cabbage Patch kid with me from home and she LOVED having her own baby doll. She wanted it tied to her back in typical African fashion and let's just say, I would never trust a real child to my skills :) It was a simple party! Cake and balloons. But she was in Heaven!!!!

Tomorrow we are hosting a "Happy Birthday Jesus" party at the orphanage. Melanie's mom and some friends pitched in and she was able to buy an outfit for each of the children. I think it will be a lot of fun. I guess it will be a good way to start off week 6! I can't believe I have been gone this long and I can't wait to hug all my little ones.

Christmas for ALL our Children!!

2009-12-26T23:57:00.000-08:00

Apart from not being together as an entire family, it was a wonderful Christmas.

The kids had a great time and enjoyed playing together, as well as trying all the different foods that were coming their way. We tried to keep up some traditions and we went out to lunch on Christmas Eve at a Chinese Restaurant. Then on Christmas morning we had egg casserole, and home made cinnamon rolls thanks to Melanie. They each opened their gift and were thrilled as expected. That afternoon we had lunch with another family and the kids stuck to the foods that they knew. Beets, turkey and the rolls. We enjoyed all the other fixins'.

It was good to slow down and not get caught up in the rush of it all. Oh how I missed being with everyone, but back home Chris said they had a good day and enjoyed all their gifts and time with Grandma, Kayleigh and Daddy.

We found out that the Deputy Prime Minister signed off on our paperwork!! Please pray that we go to court this week so we can begin the immigration process. We are still praying that we will be able to leave on our January 14th flight. Please continue to pray that the family we are here with experiences a miracle and are able to leave then as well.

A HOME for the Holidays

2009-12-24T01:22:00.000-08:00

What a fun time to be adopting. Seeing everything through the eyes of a chid is incredible, but seeing everything through the eyes of a child who has never experienced anything quite like this is a different world. Christmas here is mostly about family and a big dinner celebration. I bought Jackson three hot wheel cars and a My little pony for Mykah. They are going to be THRILLED. But I know what will touch them the most is when I put those Christmas pj's on them tonight, they will have the security of knowing that they belong and that they are special.

I wanted to challenge those that read this to think of what they could do to reach out to "Widows and orphans in their distress." Many people say, "What you are doing is so wonderful." In all honesty, it doesn't feel wonderful, it just feels right. There are 130 million orphans in the world. It is also estimated that 500,000 of those are available within our own U.S. foster system. Imagine if everyone did something small, what a large impact that could be made?

Working in behavioral health, I have seen the needs in our foster system. The greatest need is for loving homes for these kids, and might I say, not just for the babies. It always hits me when a child packs up to go home or to the next placement, they pack everything in black garbage bags. It's a sight that just never sits well with me. I can't imagine having everything that I care about in a black garbage bag. Not quite your Vera Bradley luggage. When I left the orphanage with Mykah and Jackson, they didn't even have a black bag. They had the ill fitting, donated, used, smelly clothes that were on their backs. Nothing to give. Only a sense of vulnerability.

I do realize that we will all have different roles in caring for the orphans of the world, but what will your role be?

Give financially to organizations like Lifesong- www.lifesong.org so others can receive grants to help fund their adoptions?

Offer free babysitting to families that have adopted so parents can have a night out?

Bring meals to families that have adopted to assist during their transition home?

Sponsor a local group home, maybe even sometime other than Christmas? Bring them games, movies passes, something to encourage the under-paid staff?

Become a foster parent or even an emergency foster parent to help short term?

Print a picture from www.uskids.org and pray for a forever home for a child?

Check out organizations like America World www.awaa.org and see about adoption for yourself, or even sponsor a child for their summer exchange program?

Organize a short term trip through www.visitingorphans.org and help others to see the need at various orphanages around the world?

The list goes on.....

When Chris and I first talked about adoption over 7 years ago, we knew that it was something that we would do. It was never a Plan B if I couldn't get pregnant, or something we would look into. It was never a matter of "if" but "when." When we started this journey in January 2009, I never thought that less than 12 months later I would be writing a blog entry from Africa waiting to come home with my two children. To those that say, I would love to, but how can we afford it? We can relate!! We are still asking ourselves that. BUT, I will say that God has been faithful. He has used His church to have people step up and support us- practically, financially and emotionally. We are not alone. Also, if you adopt out of the US foster system, the cost is very minimal.

So my dear friends, make it your New Year's resolution to see what your role will be? Who knows maybe a year from now, you will be the one writing a blog about YOUR adoption journey!!!!

Do Something Now from Children's HopeChest on Vimeo.

GOTCHA Day!!! :)

2009-12-20T13:58:00.000-08:00

Well, it's official!! I am now the mother of 5 children! Some days I think, "I can handle this." Then others I ask myself, "What in the world was I thinking!?" It was SO good to bring them home. I gave them a bath, put new clothes on them, gave them new shoes and then it was bedtime. It was so fun putting them in jammies and Mykah actually fell asleep on me around 6pm.

After I put her jammies on, I was showing her the girls' room where she would be sleeping. The room has a twin and a queen bed. Jacee, Melanie's sweet 4 year old girl that is sharing a room with her, wanted Mykah to sleep in the queen bed with her. Mykah wanted nothing to do with that! She wanted her very own bed. All the kids (Melanie's and ours) have been so excited about the prospect of their own beds because at the orphanage there are 4 kids per twin! No problem letting her have her own bed, huh!? :)

She also went back into my room and put her new shoes on...she wanted to sleep in them. They squek when you walk, so I quickly removed them and she was not so happy with me. :) She kept holding them to her ear wondering why they were no longer making noise! :)

Jackson played for a while after all the other kids went to bed. he is a typical 3 year old that called out for mommy after I had laid him down and when I checked in on him he was laying there on his back playing with his toes.

I wonder what is going through their minds...I wonder what they will remember about this entire process...I wonder what they will dream about tonight...

Some have been asking what's next. We still need to go to court and we are hoping that happens this week before Christmas as this is where the adoption becomes legal/final. Then we need to obtain passports which takes a few days and we are thinking that this will be next week before new year's. The final step is working with the US Embassy (who have been awesome!) for immigration and our final medical clearance which we are thinking will happen the first week of January.

Please continue to pray that all this happens smoothly and we are able to get home quickly even in spite of the upcoming holidays. All in all it is great to have them home and to tuck them in at night!! Our hearts have ACHED just pleading for this!! Even though there is quite a bit ahead we are at peace and cherishing the moments tonight and thankful that they will be in our "home" with their mommy for Christmas and both their birthdays!!

Praise God!!

Custody!!

2009-12-20T02:41:00.000-08:00

After a month of sitting by the phone and waiting for it to ring, we decided it was time for an adventure. Not that all of this isn't in and of itself an adventure :) So we piled in the car and headed out!!! We spent the day at Kruger park. We had a great time watching for Lions and other animals and actually saw Lions, some hippo heads, impala, lots of elephants and we ended the day with some giraffes! God is a God of details and even answered these prayers (I REALLY wanted to see lions and giraffes).

We set out with nothing on the agenda except for "24 Hours of nothing but FUN"!!! It was a breath of fresh air to get away and just spend some time together.

We were able to go with a dear family from here that Melanie has known for years and has been an incredible blessing to us. The weekend away was good and as we saw these powerful animals we were reminded that if God can care for these, how much more will he care for His own children!?

We headed back to reality with a phone call that said I could pick up the kids tomorrow and have custody! Oh happy day!!!!!!!!!!!

Prayer Request

2009-12-15T13:54:00.001-08:00

Here I find myself at week 3.5. But who is counting :) It is going well and I am trying to really enjoy my time with the kids without all the responsibilities at home. People at home have really stepped up to help and Chris is now home from Texas.

All that being said, my heart does desire to be together. I came out here with a return ticket for January 14th. I am absolutely prepared to stay that long, but if God wanted to move mightily, I wouldn't mind :)

A dear friend of mine always says, "We have not cause we ask not". I know that many of you are literally all over the world praying. I thought that I would send some specific requests out and we could be unified in our prayers. So here I go.

1. Pray that I obtain custody this week. It is so hard to send them back each night and it is getting harder and harder for the kids.

Jackson screams now when I leave him and they do not want me out of their sight. We need the signature of a man named Erik. Pray he is stuck in the office, whatever it takes to get this signature.

2. Pray the Social Worker completes our socio-economic report QUICKLY! That she could not rest until this is done.

3. Pray we go to court this week. Now that would be an act of God!!! The lawyer and courts pretty much close this Friday until after the New Year. Our lawyer is actually on vacation Dec 18-Jan11.

3. The doctor that we need to see prior to leaving is on vacation.

They have a back up doctor that is willing to see us, but was booked solid for the rest of the year. He called today and I have a tentative appt scheduled for Dec 22nd. Once again, it will be an absolute miracle if I make this. But, we serve a God of miracles right?

4. Pray that when we have our adoption decree that there will be NO hiccups with our passports, so we can leave quickly.

5. Pray that I would "Be still and know that He is God". It is tough for a "Doer" personality like me to sit and wait on others.

6. Please pray that Melanie's case is wrapped up by the end of the year. Pray that God would move in a BIG way!!!!!

7. Please pray for strength and endurance for myself and Melanie.

This is all very emotionally exhausting. Not to mention caring for 8 children in the home, trying to implement some type of routine and schooling for them as English is their second language.

8. Please pray for our biological children and they are carrying a heavy load with all of the changes that they are currently in, as well as those ahead.

Once again, thank you for walking this road with us. We are very aware of love that has been poured out on us and we would not be able to go through this on our own. You are our backbone!

~Carrie

Carrie getting the kids ready for their FIRST Christmas and Birthdays!

2009-12-13T13:56:00.000-08:00

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

I am a mom who is BIG on tradition. If you ask anyone who has lived
with me, the saying "Let's make a Memory" is all too frequent.
Usually followed by Chris saying, "Can't we just have the memory
before we try to capture it"? As I have cameras going all over the
place. My favorite time of year is Christmas. I love the feeling of
Christmas! We are usually done shopping around October and I can
just enjoy the season. Make cookies, celebrate Advent, have parties,
listen to Christmas cd's that have been packed away all year, the
list goes on.

This year has been tough as I can't be with my entire family. I must
admit that I haven't missed the commercialism of it all, but I sure
do miss the kids. It has been a good reminder of what is important.
Celebrating with those that we love. Over the past couple of days we
have been bringing the kids back to the house to do some celebrating
(we still don't have custody so we have chaperoned visits).
Yesterday we dusted off the Christmas tree and rounded up some
decorations and went for it! The kids had a ball. Now, all the
ornaments are on the bottom half of the tree, which is the opposite
of the tree at home where all the ornaments are on the top half of
the tree since Gracen thinks that they are great toys! Random pieces
of garland here and there and bows haphazardly placed wherever. BUT
it is BEAUTIFUL! For these children it is the first Christmas that
they have ever had and they are loving every minute of it. Today we
make salt dough ornaments and you would have thought that they won
the lottery! Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child who is
soaking it all in, really reminds you of what it is all about. We
have stockings hung with poster putty, Christmas carols on the
computer and it is one of the most relaxed Christmas' ever!

I can't wait until we are all together. I miss the hot cocoa (even in
Hawaii) and nights by the tree with Chris, I miss our yearly prime
rib dinner on Christmas night and Chinese food on Christmas eve. I
miss celebrating our 7th anniversary with the man who I have loved
since I was 21 (not bad 5 kids in 7 years), I miss seeing the kids
run down the stairs in their Christmas jammies on Christmas morning
and so much more.

BUT through all this I know that we are gaining SO much and it is all
worth it. Seeing my biological children learn to give back and make
a difference in a hurting world, teaching my children that family is
family no matter what color you might be, making a difference in the
lives of children, yet really knowing the life that is really being
touched is mine, NOW that is what Christmas is all about!

PS Mykah's birthday is December 26th and Jackson's is January 1st. I
can't wait to celebrate those with them for the first time. They
didn't even know when they were. My how things have changed in a year!!!!

-Carrie

Is today the day....?????

2009-12-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

What an appropropriate question for going through the adoption process. It's one I've been asking a lot lately and as I started thinking about it tonight, is pretty much one we've been asking all along the way. Is today the day ...when we'll get our home study scheduled...when we'll find out if we have a match...when we'll find out when we travel...when Carrie will get to go see the kids...when we'll get the kids out of the orphanage. That's where we are right now, still stuck on that one and there are gonna be LOTS more to come, I AM SURE! But I also thought back to each of these phases and how it seemed as if an answer would never come and then, BAM! All of a sudden, there it was. Beginning of Nov, we didn't have a hope from the agency that we'd go before Jan. BUT, we kept praying, "God we really want to have these kids home for Christmas, PLEASE God, let us go get them!?" And out of no where, God answered that...in his way, in his timing.

Now Carrie is there and it IS HARD having to leave our children neglected in an orphanage every night. I am so ready for these children's legacy as orphans to end and for them to go to bed at night knowing that for the rest of their lives they have a momma that is right next door and she will NEVER leave them. And they have a daddy back home that cannot WAIT to meet them and he will NEVER leave them. And they have two beautiful sisters and a brother back home that cannot WAIT to meet them, show them around, show them their toys, bedroom, swing and play with them and will NEVER leave them. I am ready for them to no longer be orphans and to be our son and daughter.

It is hard being in this state of flux, unknowing and continually being disappointed in an individual who continually fails people going through probably the most life-changing and impacting event in their lives. One would only hope that such an experience would be treated fragilly and with respect, but that is not the case, but our hope ultimately MUST NOT rest in that person, but in HIM. So we will struggle to do that and keep praying our first prayer- "God, please let us all be together back home for Christmas, PLEASE."

Is today the day...????

Daily Visits

2009-12-02T14:40:00.000-08:00

So, Carrie has been going every day since Sat to see the kids. Sunday they had an outting with all of the Fullingim's as well as an African family they are friends with and their children...LOTS of children. Mykah and Jackson loved it. Mykah's comment upon seeing the spread of food was, "this is beautiful!" Carrie kept the rascals eating and encouraged the chicken to get them some protein! :)

Melanie and Carrie have yet to receive custody of the kids (two weeks of daily visits now for Melanie!). We are praying that this would happen this week!! On a positive note, the kids seem to be attaching very well to Carrie...so much so that it's become pretty heart-wrenching for Carrie as Jackson breaks down every time she has to leave. It is hard for both these mommas, so PRAY hard that they would get custody TOMORROW (Thur!).

Mon was the first time Jackson cried and Melanie noticed and told Carrie. Carrie went back to pick him up and thought he had hurt himself. After a bit in her arms of comfort he calmed back down and she took him to Mykah and talked with her to take care of him. When she put him down he broke down again and in that moment she realized why he was crying. How powerful, how beautiful and how painful deep down to the core of Carrie's heart all at the same time. They need to get out of this orphanage...they need to be with their momma. Pray for her courage and strength and for their endurance and continued hope as they continue to sleep on their own and only get to spend a few moments of each day with Carrie.

Holding two precious kids!!!

2009-11-28T01:54:00.000-08:00

Well, Carrie has been in Africa since Tues at noon. She'd received no return calls/texts from the adoption director over there until this morning and she just called to tell me how her FIRST encounter with Jackson and Mykah went!!! How exciting this moment is! How I wish I could have been there with her to welcome them into our family!!! I just pray a peace is upon their little hearts and that they felt so desired in their momma's arms like they've never felt in life! What a day...

Carrie said she thinks the two of them together are easier to hold than Gracen! Time to get some of momma's good cookin' in those children!! Apparently need to get Jackson to a dentist in a bad way too! :( Just wanna zip 'em back here and start taking care of them!! How exciting it's going to be when Colin and Maddie wake up in the morning and I get to tell them that their momma got to hold, squeeze, play with and love on their brother and sister!!! They are going to be SO EXCITED to hear this news!! They have been praying all week that mommy gets to see Jackson and Mykah soon!

So, from here Carrie will be able to make day trips to see them and will be able to pick them up , take them on adventures and then take them back to the orphanage at night. This goes on until the director gives her the okay to keep them. Hopefully this will be fast, but some time for them to meet her on their stompin' grounds hopefully will give them a little time to adjust. Then there's just paperwork and meetings to get through and we're hoping it moves along.

We have been able to talk on the phone a few minutes a day, but the internet connection has been shady at best. She was able to get off some low resolution pics of the kids that Melanie had taken and Jackson and Mykah are BEAUTIFUL!! My mom got here Tues as well and things are settling in just in time for me to leave for two weeks on Mon!! I don't know where I'd be without her stepping up like this...it's what family's about, you know!?

Pray for all the kids as they are adjusting to so much- Jackson and Mykah to this white, red-headed, blue eyed beauty of a momma that has a heart so huge they will never see then end of it. Colin, Maddie and Gracen as they go through 2 weeks of life without their momma and daddy (I head to San Antonio on Mon for an Army course).

Also for my mom as she takes care of things and keeps the Elliott B&B running. (thanks to all that are stepping up in this time to help!!! It will make the UNdoable, doable!!!)

I'll try to get up some pics of Carrie's first visit once she's able to get some my way!!

The Friendly Skies

2009-11-23T10:29:00.000-08:00

I have arrived on African soil. I left Saturday at midnight and it is Monday night (I think). I just keep thinking "I am much too young to feel this old". That good ol' country song. Actually it was all very uneventful. I met up with Jeremy and Dawson (the father and brother of another sibling group that are being adopted) in Atlanta. We were met by a local missionary here in Africa and taken to our hotel. Now 12 short hours from now we will be back on a plane to our final destination. In many ways it doesn't feel real. Yet, the more I hear about this little ones, there is no doubt that I would travel to the moon and back to get to them.

Please keep praying. I am hoping to be able to spend time with them soon and especially on Thanksgiving. SO much to be thankful for!!!!

Carrie's on her way!!!

2009-11-22T00:38:00.000-08:00

I just returned from Dropping Carrie off at the airport. It has been an emotional day. The thought of bringing home your two new children that we have prayed over for years and long to hold and love- AMAZING!!!! Thinking of your wife leaving you for possibly two months, our kids here without their momma and to miss being there to get the kids at the orphanage and those first few weeks to bond and attach to them- OVERWHELMING and HEARTBREAKING.

We have so many people stepping up and surrounding us to help us. My mom is flying in from Turkey for goodness sake!! :) I cannot thank those people enough. The thought of me also leaving for the first two weeks of Dec for an Army course in TX, makes me feel ill!! Is it just me, or will it be as hard as I think on the kids? It will no doubt be an emotional time for them these next weeks while we wait with every ounce of us longing for a phone call or to hear the "Skype Ring" on the computer!! I'm sure they (I!!) will have their (my) moments and meltdowns, but they will be okay. We will be okay.

And it will no doubt be hard on Carrie working through the government to get our kids, living with them the first few weeks as they attach to one another and being in Africa and traveling by herself (anyone that knows her has to just laugh at that, right!) But even as experienced and amazing she is at traveling, she was never MY WIFE during all that and I feel so vulnerable letting her go out on her own for such a huge trip without me! I am her knight, it is MY duty to protect her...now I pray the angels of God keep her surrounded and watch over her. May mighty hosts of his armies travel with her.

But to everyone reading this, I cannot tell you that I have ever in my entire life felt any more dead on in the center of God's will for my life, my marriage and my family. And I cannot tell you the overwhelming joy and confidence that this brings in the moments of recognition of His will and purpose for me/us. It doesn't make it easy and it's not that it isn't a complete challenge to keep making EVERY decision by faith, but I find the strength in courage to keep going ahead without waivering as we push forward to get these children.
"Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see," (Heb. 11:1).

When I look at all that is happening and see the struggles that we are facing, I can get through them because the things that are at the center of all we are doing are making eternal impact. The things that seem to cause the most struggles as we strive to make these decisions and to drive forward seem more and more temporal. I think of all those that have come through the Elliott house since we got married and am reminded of how impacting our home can be. We talked yesterday about how we never thought of our home having such an open door, but it always has and these have always been some of the most impacting stories of how the Lord has used us as a couple and family (you all know who you are! :). And now we have the opportunity to bring in two more and make our family bigger- a new son and daughter, sister and brother.

They are what it is all about and they are amazing. I cannot wait to hear Carrie talk after she's seen them for the first time and to hear her stories as they adjust to being with one another. And most of all I cannot wait to have them in their arms, the arms of their Daddy!!
It is good.

24ish hours

2009-11-20T08:20:00.000-08:00

I am leaving tomorrow night at 10pm from Hawaii. I then leave Atlanta on Sunday evening for an overnight flight, spend the night at a hotel painted in primary colors and then fly on to my destination and arrive on Tuesday. I keep thinking, "I am too old for this" :) , but I know that it is a trip of a life time. People keep asking me if I am scared to travel by myself. I answer "If I can get 30 kids to Timbuktu and back, I should be fine". God knew what he was doing all those years ago preparing for this moment. I am sad to be leaving Chris and the kids, but I am looking forward to my time there. It is truly bittersweet.

So, here is what we know. We have been assigned a girl who will be 4 either on Christmas day or the 26th. We need clarify that, and a boy who is turning 3 on January 1st. They are brother and sister. We can't wait to meet them although we have looked at the picture a thousand times and have prayed for them for years. I was told to prepare to be in Africa for 8 weeks, so I have the luggage to prove that I am ready. My 4 page To Do list is now down to one and we are meeting with the adoption agency at 9am to wrap up some final paperwork. I know that God is moving and He is working in mighty ways to care for these orphans. I always felt it with my other 3, but I really believe that these are HIS children and we have the privledge of walking with Him to raise this children in the "way they should go".

I can't wait to meet them. See their personalities. Learn what makes them tick. I am sure all of this is incredibly overwhelming to them. I feel nervous and excited. I can't imagine what they are experiencing.

We have some dear friends that are there now and they were able to meet their 3 beautiful children yesterday. I know that our 5 little ones will have this special time to grow as an extended Ohana (family). Others, that my children will have throughout their lives that can relate to this experience like no other. God truly is a God of the details.

I hope to have e mail while I am there and I will be updating the blog as often as African internet will allow. In the meantime, we are soaking up time together before I leave. We are celebrating Thanksgiving today and will be decorating the house for Christmas. Colin has his first swim meet tomorrow morning and I can't wait to see him swim the 25 meter freestyle :) He will be the only 5 year old there. I will paint Maddie's nails and hug and kiss that sweet baby Gracen who is getting closer and closer to being a toddler, but I am further and further from admitting it :)

We are so THANKFUL for all those that have made this adoption possible. God does have a heart for the orphan and it has been incredible watching Him use his people to change the lives of two little ones. Please keep us in your prayers and I hope to post pictures soon!

All's Quiet On The Home Front

2009-10-10T20:48:00.000-07:00

Well, that's a joke with 3 small children, but we do continue to wait on the adoption front:)

Please continue to pray as Kristine wraps up her trip to Africa this week. She will be back on the 14th. It's a 19 hour flight and they are 12 hours ahead, do the math and I think it means she doesn't have much time left. We continue to check our e mail more than one should to see if there is a note, a picture, any glimmer of hope! We do continue to pray and try to rest in the Lord's timing.

We are leaving for California on the 22nd. Carrie actually goes on the 19th, so we have all been busy with To Do lists and wrapping up things at work. One good thing about auctioning off the house each year is that it makes you clean and do all those projects we have put off over the last 12 months! Chris is on call today, so we are all watching SEC football, burning pumpkin candles and sipping cider trying to pretend it's Fall and just enjoying some down time with one another.

Last weekend we took the kids for a surf lesson. We were invited by some friends to go with their church to an outreach that they have. Once a month, they do a surf clinic in a way to build relationships and reach out to the community. Maddie was happiest just on the sand and Colin gave it a shot until the board flipped and they fell off. Gracen was most content running all over the beach, stealing people's soda and coffee. That girl has a radar when caffeine is involved. We will give it a try again next month. Chris gave it a whirl and decided that a rash guard really is a necessity and I think he even got up a few times. We are waiting for Marlene to come back and show us how it is done :) Surfing truly is a great lesson in patience and determination which is a great reminder right now.

Please keep us in your prayers and I hope to have some more information for you on Thursday.

Hope Springs Eternal

2009-09-27T10:43:00.000-07:00

Things have been quiet on the adoption front. Anyone that has been through the adoption process or knows someone who has, there is truly a hurry up and wait attitude involved. Just a little recap. When we applied to the African program in February we were asked if we could travel in July. The process was going very quickly as it was a new program and there were not many families involved yet. Over the past year 16 children have been brought home to their forever families and it has been amazing to watch them grow and blossom into incredible children as they adjusted to life in America. The agency works very hard to create a strong Ohana (family) concept and there are many activities where we get together and support one another as well as allow the children to develop ties with the other children adopted through the program.

As some may know, international adoption needs to be approached very cautiously. Some programs have been shut down as there was corruption going on, or mother's were being strongly convinced to give up their children in hopes of being adopted and sent to America. Because of this our agency has moved forward very slowly- they have tried to embrace the African culture and mindset towards this process and learned that is not necessarily beneficial to push to make things happen. Because of this, the process has slowed a bit. The Director of Social Services of the country in Africa came to Hawaii in July and spent time with the prospective families as well as the children who had been adopted. She was very happy with what she saw. Since her return to Africa one family has brought home adorable twin girls and another family, currently in country awaiting passports, will soon return with their sweet little girl.

Kristine, the Director of the adoption agency, leaves for Africa this Monday, the 28th. She stops through D.C. and will meet with the Ambassador of the country to continue building a strong relationship with them and stressing the program's focus of providing these children with stability and security. Once in Africa she will be identifying children for assignment to waiting families. We are "Next on the list".

We are praying that God moves in a big way as there are a number of things that need to "Line Up." She needs to be able to find two boys, under 5, that are available for adoption and that are "siblings or know each other and can get along." Get the idea??? We did tell them that if there was a sibling group that had two boys and a girl, we would be open to it.

We are really praying that Carrie can travel in November and be home with the boys by Christmas. Realistically they are trying to get one more group to travel before the holidays and then it may not be until Spring that more groups can go.

So..... We are asking you to join us in prayer over these next few weeks. Kristine will be in Africa Sept 28-October 14th.

Pray she finds us a match. Pray that it is very clear to Kristine that these are OUR children and that they stand out to her.
Pray the paperwork is a smooth process and that God would go before us and line everything up. Paperwork and Africa are not the easiest of combinations :)
Pray that their TB tests will be 100% negative. Even with a hint of being positive, it could mean many more months in the country or even Carrie leaving and needing to return.
Pray for some dear friends that are awaiting the final paperwork on their assignment. They need the birth father to sign away his rights. This one is a HUGE request!!!
Pray for our sweet little boys that are waiting for us to find them. Pray that their hearts would be protected and that they would know the love of God even as we are away from them.
Pray that Vierah would have the time and the energy to do what she needs to do and that we could find favor in her eyes to make this adoption happen smoothly.
Please pray that we would have the shortest turn around time in Africa. Right now, families have been there from 4-6 weeks. This is a long time to be apart.
Please continue to pray for the funds. Any tax deductible donations can still be sent to:

LifeSong for Orphans
Attn: Elliott Adoption
PO Box 40/202 N. Ford Road
Gridley, IL 61744
Please put Account #834 in the memo line.

In the meantime we wait. We rest in the fact that God's timing is perfect, but we long to be with the boys. It feels as though a part of our family is missing and we desire it to be complete. We are heading to CA on vacation October 22nd-November 1st. We are hoping to enjoy some fabulous Fall weather. We are in full swing with home-schooling. Colin really enjoys it and it is fun to watch him be a little sponge and soak it all in. Madeline is still going to pre-school three days a week from 8-12 and just loves it. Gracen is practicing for her climb on Mt. Everest. If I had a dollar for every time I told her to get down or get off the kitchen table I could pay for the adoption :) She is talking a lot more and torturing her brother and sister by invading their "castles" or what ever else they may be working on.

We have two wonderful young women that have moved in with us. Megan will actually be here October 7th. Kayleigh has been a blessing to have and has helped us greatly as Carrie has been working full time lately in an effort to cover some of the adoption fees. Marlene moved out in August and is currently at Bible College in Spain. It is a true joy to watch her grown in her faith and be a part of her journey. We are looking forward to having her back in January. Old friends have been visiting, so the house continues to run as a "Bed and Breakfast." :) Shelly and Lukas were here last week and it was a wonderful time of being with old friends.

As you can see, it is never boring! We appreciate you walking this road with us and if you have any questions please feel free to contact us. If you live in California, we'd love to get together while there and we'll keep you posted with our plans. We will be in Lodi the majority of the trip, but we are hoping to make it to Southern California as well.

We will let you know the minute we hear anything! Thank you so much for your prayers.

~The Elliotts

Starting up!

2009-09-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

A few people have mentioned that we should start a blog to keep people updated on our adventure with adoption as well as the day to day fun!

I am going to give it a whirl, but since I don't even know how to upload pictures to facebook, this should be fun :)

If you are looking for proper grammer, you are in the wrong place (unless Marla edits it for me) :) But we are hoping to have a great deal of information coming your way soon about our adoption journey and we would love to have you along for the ride!!!