Back to school - lite

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

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!

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!

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

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

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

Settling in

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 before

kitchen after

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

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

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

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!