mypearlforsundays

Back to school - lite

2009-12-10T09:46:00.000-08:00

We are treading back lightly into the school arena. I thought we could take off until Christmas. We even started back early in the summer so we would be able to break when Geb and Abri arrived. However, I have realized that I cannot stand the chaos. Five kids without anything in particular to do and freezing weather outside is a recipe for insanity!!!! So we pulled all the school books out today and got back into the grind. I'm singing a happy tune and everyone else is a bit bummed. Actually there is one very happy student....

Actually, the boys are really great students, and as their teacher, I have nothing to complain about. When people say, "How in the world can you teach your own children?!?!" I can answer honestly, "There is nothing in the whole world I would rather be doing."

One student could use a little discipline, though. Every teacher has to have one of these kind in her class and homeschool teachers aren't excluded. He complained that the kitchen was just too hard a place for him to concentrate and asked if he could go to my room to do his work. This is what I found when I went down the hall to check on my little angel, Kellen...

Maybe this is some kind of physics experiment that he and Geb are working on!

Week in review

2009-11-27T07:40:00.000-08:00

Paul and Abri having a great time on their flight home!

More good times with Abri on the airplane!

I wanted to post all the happy photos from my trip, but couldn't find any. This will have to do!

Definitely the happiest part of my trip!!!

First photo of all five

Meeting Nana and Poppy

First breakfast altogether. I confess, I was a little shell shocked.

Boys enjoying their first interactions with a "sister"

We've all been exhausted...even the cat!

Scrumptious!

Channeling Reese Errington! She's got fashion and she knows how to use it!

Congratulations guys!

2009-11-27T07:13:00.000-08:00

Congratulations, Kellen! You earned your orange stripe belt in karate! You worked really hard!

Congratulations, Pres! You earned your red stripe belt in karate! We are so proud of you!

They are coming!

2009-11-18T09:11:00.001-08:00

Just got an e-mail from Paul. Abri Nardos was able to get her visa today. Praise God! They will be leaving in a few hours. We will pick them up at 2:00pm tomorrow.

1/2 Home

2009-11-18T03:38:00.000-08:00

It's 5:30am. Geb Nahom and I have been up since 3:00. Isn't jet lag great? I am so grateful to be home it is indescribable. I won't talk much about the trip home. Some things are just too horrible to retell. Just imagine a 24 hour jouney with a sleep deprived totally untrained/undisciplined 2 1/2 yr old in a completely confined environment. Enough said!

I am still waiting to hear final word from Paul and Abri Nardos. We're not sure whether or not they will be able to travel. Please pray for them. It is very hard for Abri to be separated from us after all she has been through this week.

I owe a huge thank you to Shirley and my parents. When I arrived, the house was spotless, the laundry done, and the refrigerator full! What more could a girl ask for?

Kellen went home with my parents. He was a little sad, but I think it's for the best. We are so wiped out, I knew he would have more fun there. After Mom and Dad left with him, I just crashed. Hayden and Preston entertained, fed and bathed Geb and got him ready for bed. I got back up long enough to tuck him in. They are awesome. I am so proud of them and grateful for them. I look at my family now and am so overwhelmed by God's goodness to me. Now I just pray for the safe and rapid return of the rest of us!

One day at a time

2009-11-16T15:54:00.000-08:00

Paul here. Today, we eagerly waited for news concerning Nardos’s TB test results while getting Stacey and Nahom packed and ready for homeward travel alone. For if the test returned negative, we could return home soon. Otherwise, it would be more waiting for processing the necessary waiver paperwork for approval to travel from the CDC and DHS. Well… we finally did hear some word earlier this evening… both good and not-so-good news, as has been the pattern all week. The good news is that the test did return negative, but unfortunately the people who understand the rules which have recently changed are not reachable… and those making decisions for now are indicating that we must wait longer for completion of other test results. Our adoption agency is working hard to do all they can to explain and pull strings where they can. Bottom line though is that we wait to know more after tomorrow… one day at time.

Seven days ago when entering the country, these were not the plans we anticipated, but it obviously is the provision that God has made. Whether we can explain and understand it or not doesn’t change God’s hand in it. I must confess, however, while I do believe, I still struggle to say this without some question and doubt. God help my unbelief.

Hopefully, Nardos will be issued a visa and cleared for travel in a couple of days.

We did reschedule our flight in anticipation that we can leave out on the next flight, which is early early Thursday morning. Until then, Nardos and I will be hanging out in Ethiopia learning each others language while bonding as father and daughter. Having only experience with boys until now, I must say it is a bit odd, but in a very beautiful way. However, she does like to be tossed high in the air, so she’ll fit into the McKee clan just fine.

Sunday pics

2009-11-15T10:12:00.001-08:00

Settling in

2009-11-14T14:20:00.000-08:00

Paul here again.

It's amazing how quickly children learn... and also parents of children who don't yet speak the same language. Both Nardos and Nahom already call us "mommy" and "daddy". And Stacey and I now understand Amharic for "tee tee" and "poo poo"... so it's all down hill for here... no? It is incredible how the children can parrot almost anything... and Nardos is showing great memory as her English vocabulary is rapidly growing. The really cool thing, however, is the way Nardos passes her learning on down to her brother. I think in her mind, she is more like his mother than his sister.

Friday Update

2009-11-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

We have just returned from our interview with Tekleheimenot, the children’s birth father. Words are not adequate to describe it and the effect it had on us. Tekleheimenot is an incredible man who has a truly unselfish love for his children. He is sacrificing his own self for the betterment of his children.

Although I had my doubts about this meeting and the children seeing their father again, I think it will be something that will bless them for the rest of their lives. We were able to able to video a message from him to the children. He spoke first in English, then in Amharic (the national language), and then in Tigrai (their tribal language). We will be able to show it to them when they are older.

We spent about two hours with him. The children ran around playing running between the three of us like it was a playdate. When it was time for us to leave, he explained to Nardos that we were her new family and he wanted her to go to America with us. This was very difficult for her, but when he handed her to me she just wrapped her arms around my neck and cried. I held her all the way home and by the time we arrived back at the guest house she had fallen asleep in my arms and Nahom at my side.

All the Gladney adoptive parents went on an outing to visit some of the government orphanages. I decided to stay here since the children were still sleeping. I am so glad I did. The first thing I heard from the other room a few moments ago was…”Mommy? Mommy?” Nardos was awake.

We are trying to prepare logistically for flying home separately. This is a daunting task. I must admit the prospect of flying home alone with a 2 ½ year old with quite a temper makes me want to go crawl in a hole. However, I keep telling myself…”this too shall pass” The plane ride can’t last forever, even if it feels like it! We are still praying that miraculously Nardos’s test will come back negative in time for us to all leave Monday night. But it would truly have to be a miracle. Several government agencies (both American and Ethiopian) would have to do things very quickly and efficiently and even ahead of schedule. So you see what I mean when I say “miraculous”.

Thank you for your prayers and interest in our family. We can’t wait to all be home again!

Thursday update

2009-11-12T15:40:00.000-08:00

So much has happened in the past two days. Nardos finished with her testing and so we were able to go pick her and Nahom up this morning for good! When we went to pick them up, the “special mothers” at the care center had dressed them both up in traditional Ethiopian clothing. They were so proud of themselves! As we were sitting waiting for the time to leave for the embassy, a tall man walked in. When Nahom saw him, he got up and walked over and gave him a big hug. Then Nardos followed. Our driver came over and asked if we realized that this was their father! Imagine our surprise. We introduced ourselves to him and he actually speaks English! The kids were very OK with the whole thing. We had a good conversation with him albeit heartbreaking. We were able to take pictures of him and the children and all of us together. (We had one of him and the children enlarged and will give it to him tomorrow at our meeting.) After a few minutes, it was time for us to leave for the Embassy and the children gladly came with us and waved goodbye to their father. It was just an amazing experience. I was so nervous about this meeting and the effect it would have on Nardos. God gave us a taste of his incredible mercy today. He is so good!!!

The other big news is not so good. We have really run into a snag with Nardos’s TB test. It’s too complicated to explain because I don’t really understand. We get different information from each official we talk to. But what it boils down to is that they won’t issue a visa to Nardos yet. We have to wait until the test results come back. They won’t be ready until Tuesday. Unfortunately our flight is Monday night. So Nahom and I will be flying home alone on Monday. If the test results are negative then she and Paul will catch the next flight probably on Thursday. If they are positive then we have to apply for a medical waiver. This is just a formality but it takes about two weeks to process. In that case, they will be staying until then. Obviously we are praying that the test returns negative. Please pray with us. I’ll keep you updated, but we probably won’t hear anything new until next Tuesday.

Other than that we are having a fabulous time. Ethiopia is an amazing country. We hope to capture as much of it as possible for the children. They definitely have great reason to be proud of their country. We are in love with it!!!

Welcome Guest Blogger Paul McKee, Live from Ethiopia

2009-11-12T15:34:00.000-08:00

OK.. Paul here… Stacey has graced me with the privilege to post on her blog, but with a couple of requirements; first, that my pen is not to be confused with hers, and secondly, that I spell check prior to posting. I can’t believe she forgot to mention proof-read!

Receiving them home...

The process of adoption became complete Monday as we received our children, Nardos and Nahom, into our arms. It was a nervous, highly anticipated moment as they rounded the corner of the orphanage to see us in the flesh for the first time. At first, they were hesitant, but continued slowly approaching. As their eyes began to light up, their approach quickened, then suddenly they broke into a dash to close the remaining distance between us to leap freely into our arms. Our union with their little arms wrapped tightly around us with our hearts pressed together as one was truly a heavenly moment… one that I will never forget.

Reflecting on this experience causes me to wonder if this could be similar to how God anticipates and will feel on the day He sends Jesus to call and receive us home. When God opens our hearts to his saving grace, trust begins to grow from the seed of faith that God plants, waters, cultivates, and harvests. How amazing for me to think that God could feel this way about me: To pursue, call, and embrace me as his own… to adopt me as an heir with Christ into God’s family… to see me waiver in my approach, but finally jump freely and wholly into his arms without reserve… to receive me home as his own… it is truly a heavenly moment.

Meeting Nardos and Nahom

2009-11-10T16:35:00.000-08:00

Today didn’t go quite as planned. But what else would you expect from our adventure. We were supposed to get the children this morning. However, that has been delayed until Thursday morning. There are some issues with Nardos’s TB tests. She is having to undergo more tests that require sticking a tube down her nose every night that she has to sleep in. The Gladney staff would rather her not associate this trauma with us. There is a small chance we will have to delay our return waiting on test results. We had a couple of meetings with doctors today and it now seems that the decision rests with the American Embassy on Thursday.

On a brighter note, we were able to go the foster care center and meet Nardos and Nahom. It was an incredible experience. They are so beautiful. When they were brought outside to meet us, Nardos came running into my (Stacey) arms. She hugged me so tightly and didn’t want to let go. Nahom then followed suit, not wanting to be left out, and ran to Paul. They were full of smiles and sweet kisses. We just basked in their presence. We played outside on the lawn for about an hour and then went to see the other children. Our driver then explained to them that we would be back in the morning. Hopefully we will get to spend the entire day with them tomorrow before taking them back in the evening for her procedure.

Please continue to pray with us about the meeting on Friday with their birth father. We learned that at their last meeting Nardos was begging him not to leave her again and promising not to eat as much. She really thinks she has done something bad to make him leave her. You can imagine how heartbreaking this is. Pray that God comforts her in the way that only He can do. Also, pray that Nardos does not have TB. She is showing no symptoms and so the doctors were encouraged by that, but there does appear to be something showing on her chest X-ray.

We’ll update you more as we get more info.

Enjoy the pics!

McKees' in Ethiopia

2009-11-09T17:17:00.000-08:00

Just a quick update to let you know that we received word around lunchtime today that Paul and Stacey arrived in Ethiopia. They were headed to meet the children shortly thereafter. We'll provide more info as we get it.

Thank you

2009-11-08T03:35:00.000-08:00

It's very early Sunday morning. The plane leaves this afternoon. Before we take off, I want to say a few public "thank you"s.

Thank you to all who have helped put our house back together...especially Jim and Robin (my parents), Wes and Shellee, Kevin, James, Shirley (Paul's mom).

Thanks to all the girls (Corey, Deneise, Emily, Leigh, Kelly and Shellee) for the wonderful surprise shower. I am overwhelmed by your generosity.

Thank you, Tracy, for all the clothes and travel goodies. Thanks for spending countless hours on the phone with me over the past ten months listening to all my agonies. Thank you for sharing my sorrows and my joys.

Thank you, Deneise, for the very first adoption gift...the photo frames. You have blessed me so many times with your thoughtfulness. Thanks for doing my shopping, the travel bags, and all the cute clothes. Thanks for stepping in and taking up my slack in SS.

Thanks to all who will be loving on and taking care of my boys while we're away...especially Shirley.

Thank to all who have lifted us and covered us in prayer...our LifeGroup, our family, our friends.

Thank you, Lord, for the journey of this past year. Thank you for the joy, the pain, the agony, and the celebration. Thank you for blessing us with these children. Thank you for your abundant grace that has been sufficient through everything.

I'll see you all when we return!

Love,
Stacey

It's official

2009-10-21T15:27:00.000-07:00

We are now the proud parents of two more children. Our adoption passed court on Oct 20. We get to pick them up Nov 9th.

Here they are... Gebriel Nahom McKee(age 2) and Abrihet Nardos McKee (age 4)

It's a whirlwind of activity...travel, immigration documents, arrangements for the boys, and throw in a little more remodeling!

We couldn't be happier!!!!

Construction update

2009-10-19T08:55:00.000-07:00

I've had many requests for updates on the house. So here are some before and after (or somewhere in between) photos.

kitchen before

kitchen after

living room before

living room before
living room after

This is the last e-mail photo we sent to Abrihet Nardos and Gebriel Nahom. It shows what the exterior looks like currently. It still needs to be painted and rock added. But it's getting closer!

Shoppers

2009-10-19T08:41:00.000-07:00

My mom came up at the end of September to take Kellen on a train ride over in east Texas. The day before she decided to take Hayden and Preston on a shopping spree. They headed off to Old Navy and had a blast. This was one of their favorite purchases.

Cheap labor

2009-10-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

There has been a huge pile of lumbar in the back yard since February. And when I say back yard I don't mean just somewhere out on the three acres. I mean 10 feet off the back porch and right in front of the steps onto the deck. Besides the fact that it was huge and unsightly, it gave me the heebie-jeebies everytime I walked by it because I was sure it was a large multi-family dwelling for snakes. Hayden and Preston have been wanting DS's for quite a long time but I refused to buy yet one more gaming media. So they have been saving up. Preston already had enough but Hayden was still short $22. He came to me the other day and asked if I had any jobs he could do to earn some more money. He was super pleased to find out that I had just such a job and it would pay exactly $22! Preston and Kellen both wanted a job also, so we struck a deal and the work began.

I am so proud of these boys. (Kellen quit after a few trips. He decided he could be content with just a Wii, Gamecube, and Gameboy.) To be quite honest, I didn't expect them to be able to finish it. But they were so determined. It took two days and they never asked for any help!

Most importantly of all....two DS's came in the mail on Friday!!! Their first taste of the American Dream!

What to do when it rains

2009-10-19T04:46:00.000-07:00

Rain is not very good for construction projects. We've had quite a bit of it lately which has caused no small amount of anxiety. However one day as the rain was coming down, Paul said, "Enough. I'm just going to enjoy it." So this is what ensued. A trampoline party!

Who do you think was having the most fun! I just love that guy!

A picture is worth....

2009-09-25T14:56:00.000-07:00

A sweet family who was traveling to Ethiopia last week to pick up their new son generously agreed to take a care package from us to Nardos and Nahom. So I went on my first shopping trip ever for girl clothes. Luckily I had a good friend with me who has 10 yrs of girl shopping experience to help me through the ordeal. It was much less intimidating than I had feared. We went to Target, which for me, was a great place to start...no need to go jumping in the deep end, better to wade in slowly. We chose an outfit, pj's, stickers and a squishy teddy bear for each of them. I also got a gender neutral photo album and filled it with pictures that I hoped would make them want to live with us instead of run the other direction.

This morning, I was quite surprised to see in my inbox a letter from the sweet family. Not only did they hand deliver our care package to Nardos and Nahom, but they photographed the whole event. She sent me 25 snapshots. It was so amazing. In the first picture Nahom opened the teddy bear and just looked at it. Then he tucked it under his arm and there it remained the entire time. He never let it go from the protection of his arm. Then I saw Nardos opening her gifts and just staring at our pictures and smiling that beautiful smile. It created such an ache in me that I can hardly describe.

Our court date is Monday, October 5th...just 10 days away. Thoughts of an unfinished house are pushed out with even bigger thoughts. I just want to scoop these beautiful children up in my arms and assure them they are loved. I want to sing them to sleep and comfort them after a bad dream. I want them to know how wanted they are.

10 more days...Please join us in praying God's will be done.

At Last

2009-09-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

For the past 16 years my husband has been hoping, dreaming, fantasizing....

Cue the orchestra.

Cue Etta James.

At last, my love has come along.

My lonely days are over.

And life is like a song.

Oh yeah, at last!

He is now the proud owner of a cute little orange tractor with all sorts of gadgets. He has assured me that this "tool" will be pivotal in helping us finish the house.

I can't wait to see what it does best.....paint or sheetrock?

Oh no! Mono!

2009-09-03T16:39:00.000-07:00

Preston came home from Family Palooza on Sunday feeling really bad. Our first clue was actually before we got home when Paul found him in the tip off circle of the gym floor laying flat on his back with kids and balls bouncing crazily all around him....while he slept!!! When we got him home we found that he had a temp of a whoppin 103. Monday evening someone mentioned something about a swine flu outbreak at TCU so we decided to take the boy to our doctor's after hours clinic. I hate seeing anyone but my own pediatrician but I had no other choice. She is amazing, awesome, and I think the only doctor in the world who knows anything. Maybe that's an overstatement, but not by much! Anyway we come home from the clinic with a diagnosis of strep, a bottle of amoxicillin, and a promise that we will have a new child within 24 hours. We are all giving each other high 5's because we have plans to leave for a very important reunion with 3 other families in Arkansas. These are couples we met when we were all newlyweds 16 years ago. None of us had kids and we hung out all the time and worked with the youth at our church. Now there are 19 kids between us and our reunions are a blast and a circus. We try to get together at least every other year, and this is one of those years!!! The planning has been in the works since winter.

Well, 36 hours pass and Pres is not only not a new child, but he is a deathly ill child. I call my beloved pediatrician and she says she wants to see him ASAP. Within minutes of seeing her, we have the dreaded diagnosis...MONO. Not only does he feel terrible now, he will feel terrible for a long time, and there is nothing we can do about it. Needless to say, we aren't going to the reunion.

Spiritually, this has been a rough week. We really felt like we needed this trip. These are people who have know us inside and out and have been a support for us throughout our whole marriage. We had been talking about the perfect timing of this reunion and looking forward to a time of renewal and encouragement. Obviously, God had other plans for us this weekend. He has other avenues to renew and encourage.

Here's a picture of my sweet patient. He never complains, never asks for anything, and apologized constantly. "Sorry I'm sick. Sorry we can't go to the reunion. Sorry I threw up in your bed." If only every male in this household could be like this when he is sick (hint hint Paul McKee)

First Day Lessons

2009-09-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of our homeschool co-op. It's once a week and the each kid gets to take 3 classes there. Preschool stays in the same room the whole time, so now that Kellen is in kindergarten he got to choose classes like "the boys". I can guarantee there was not a more excited kid in Texas this morning than Mr. Kellen. For him, this was really his first day of kindergarten.

One of the classes that he gets to take is karate. I know, I know, Kellen is already close to being a lethal weapon, but he's lookin for a little edge over "the boys". Actually he's been practicing on just about everyone. So with that in the forefront of my mine this morning I warned him that if the teacher caught him karate chopping other kids he would be thrown out of class for the rest of the year. I gave him the eye and tried to impress upon him how important this was. Well, we have about a 30 minute ride to school, during which Kellen is very quiet. When we get there and I turn around to tell him to hop out, I see huge tears in his eyes.

"I just can't do it, Mom," he said.

Thinking he's shy about going in I say, "Kellen, you're a big boy. You'll be fine."

"No, Mom. I won't be able to control my karate chopping. I just know I'm gonna be kicked out for the WHOLE YEAR!"

So we say a quick prayer asking God to control Kellen's powerful hands and he ran off somewhat comforted.

God was faithful. Kellen made it through the day without being expelled. According to him "karate was AWESOME, we learned how to stand with our hands at our sides!!!" I've tried to teach him that for years and he NEVER thought it was awesome. I've got to learn her secret.

"You want to know the most important thing I learned today?" Kellen asked.

"Of course", I said waiting to hear what wisdom he is gleaning from his teachers.

"Now that I'm in kindergarten, I've got to take care of my peeing business at home!"

Not sure exactly what the teacher said, but she made a believer out of him and he held it until 12:30 when school was out!

So that was our first day. Hayden was most concerned about being Mr. Cool. He tried on two different outfits before we left! Preston had to stay home. He decided it was a good time to come down with strep throat. Seeing as we are supposed to leave for a reunion in Arkansas tommorow, why not?

I'm just glad there is only one "first day"!

Ora et Labora

2009-08-26T15:39:00.000-07:00

We started a new Latin book this year. Upon opening to the first lesson, we found our first Latin quote...

Ora et labora. - St. Benedict The following explanation accompanied this quote. "Ora et labora is a summary of the Rule of St. Benedict and is a good rule for our lives too." Ora et labora means pray and work. I got a lot of blank stares from the boys. "Is this guy serious?" they seemed to say.

So here we are. I wanted to share a few labora pictures.

As for the ora part...I don't think I want to know what is really in their prayers. It probably involves lightning strikes and fires destroying all this labora that still looms large in their future.

Lowering the Bar...or not?

2009-08-24T11:34:00.000-07:00

I was talking with a friend of mine the other day about the house situation and the conversation was something like this...

Friend: "What do you think is the minimum that you have to get done before you bring the kids home?"

Me: "I don't know. I've lowered the bar so many times, I just don't know anymore. It's starting to sink in that the bar is nowhere close to being as low as it will need to go."

Later that evening I was laying in bed feeling very sorry for myself. In all my dreams and plans of adopting kids (dreams that go back to the age of 13), this scenario never entered my mind.

The next day we had a storm that knocked out our power. It was off for most of the day before a crew came to fix it. I must admit, it wasn't a fun day. We were having to run power tools off generators and I became the refrigerator nazi..."don't open that door or you'll let all the cold air out!!!" The problem ended up being a blown transformer that runs directly to our house, so the crew had to replace it. Since they saw that we were in the middle of a huge construction project they asked if we wanted them to upgrade the transformer. This was something we were going to have to pay for later on, but since it was related to an outage it would be free. As the boys and I watched the man up in the lift working on the line they asked me what he was doing. I related the whole story to them and this was Preston's response.

"Oh, so what we thought was something bad, it was actually God's plan to give us something good!!! Isn't that right, Mommy?"

"Yes, Preston." I said, as my throat got tight and tears stung my eyes. Immediately my mind went back to my pity party the night before. Why can my 7 yr old see so easily what I couldn't see? From my perspective, having to learn what I can actually live without is "lowering the bar". But from God's perspective, maybe it's actually raising the bar.

Time to Kick

2009-08-23T20:01:00.000-07:00

Ever been watching a race and heard an announcer comment

He better start his kick or he'll never catch up?

She started her kick too early and ran out of gas.

Does this guy have any kick left in him?

Well, Paul and I have often referred to this whole remodeling ordeal as a marathon. So the other night after we got the call that court date for our adoption in Ethiopia had been scheduled for October 5th, I said to Paul, "Well, I guess it's time to start our kick."

And he responded, "Yeah, only it's too bad that we've only just passed the first water station."

I'm not actually a runner, but I think that means it's not lookin' so good! However, kicking we are. I have seriously, seriously never worked so hard in my whole life. (That could be a commentary on my pathetic previous work experience.) In the past few weeks I have painted, hung insulation, run wires, laid tile, grouted, demolitioned walls, operated a jack hammer, saw, drill and various other tools whose names all seem similar (how many different types of saws and screwdrivers do we really need).

So although I know it's time to start my kick. It seems that my beeehind is the only thing really getting kicked around here.

Here's to hoping I make it to the finish line!