Photos to Encourage You That We Really Are Enjoying This Strange Journey...

The great porch where we nap when the plumbers are working all over the house....
The joy of a fresh set of library books.....

Digging up the back yard today - I think the plumbing is fixed! Yeah everything flushes, drains and doesn't burp nasty back up at us!

First peek at the 'real' house! I need landscaping ideas for how to redesign the front area to make it inviting and usable so that we can interact with the neighbors - it's a tad off putting right now! There were two very fat deer (looked more like mules to me) eating in the neighbors yard - they jumped our fence and landed in the back yard to nibble there. I suspect they wont be as frequent in their visits once they figure out we have moved in.

Three chilly girls at the Garden of the Gods on Tuesday.

Traveling With Sensory Disorders...The Joy of Weighted Blankets!

Road tripping 1000 miles was easier this time because we have a better idea of how to manage the sensory processing disorders which are part of 4 of our kids and have made some real progress on helping the kids communicate their needs to us. One of our last minute investments was four weighted blankets by “We Have You Covered” in Minneapolis. What a great investment! Just being able to give them the deep weight they need when life starts overwhelming them is an amazing parenting tool. Truth is that there is just no way for me to hold all four of them tightly in my arms at once and they tend to need it at the same time.

(Jerry sporting his new blanket.)

All This And I Have to Make Dinner Too?!!

When I was growing up my mom had a phrase that reflected a lot of what being a mom is about. “After all this…(painting the house, parties, packing for a vacation, cleaning the basement- whatever overwhelming task had just been completed) I have to make dinner too?!” I think moms all over the world echo the sentiment as we add layers to our regularly full workload to make things happen for our families.

It’s overwhelming if we think too much about it, it’s impossible if we try to schedule what needs to be done and its depressing if we compare ourselves to other moms. I’m preaching to myself here – I believe that there is enough trouble for each day without looking ahead and freaking out about that next undone thing. Taxes, buying, selling, renting, moving, moving again, trash, phone, insurance, sewer issues…..all I have to do is pray and find the one thing I need to do in this moment – not be paralyzed by the mass that could suffocate me.

So what do you think? PBJ AGAIN for dinner or maybe a radical switch over to PBH.:) Of course I will need two loaves of bread for that which involves a trip to the store….maybe I can stretch the leftover lasagna that Camille and her family brought over two days ago. What a blessing a meal is!

Colorado Springs - Library Blogging!

“….so here I am to worship, here I am to bow down…” that the song my pre-teens are singing together in the kitchen as I have sat down to try and share something of the past few days. It’s true, even though the details of our life sound like a standard country western song we are able to enjoy the journey and find God’s hand in every situation.

The bare facts combined are really funny – the huge moving truck with our mattresses and table for the rental and everything else we own has been stranded in nowhere Iowa for two days with a blown engine and roads to icy for the tow truck. The house we are renting is plenty big enough (especially since we only have clothes/cooking/sleeping bags) and as long as we think about it as a North Woods cabin it meets all of our expectations.

We did get the opportunity to meet many of the Universities facilities maintenance staff over dinner yesterday (they chose not to eat as their job was too disgusting) because the laundry draining caused the sewer to back up into the bathroom shower and flood out into the hall. Relationships gearing up all ready as we had to dance around each other until 8:30pm when they got things cleaned out and cleaned up enough to leave us for the night. They will be back today and I suspect we will have cookies ready to greet them. We already confessed to them the broken window from Lil throwing a shoe in anger but the good news is that there are at least 10 others that are cracked or broken so we didn’t do much more damage than there already was.

Traveling with kids who struggle with autism and FASD issues is pretty much a three ring circus. But we made it, no strangers were bitten in the hidden corners of McDonalds playland, and no one was left in the bathroom at the rest stop. No trailer was stolen, no wallets lost and best of all the members of my van took those last 60 miles with happy hearts – especially when we figured out that the road we were moving to had been blocked off and we had to access it through the back of a university parking lot. Good thing we found student who remembered seeing the sign marking this tiny one lane dead end!

Time is up – for the next 60 days it looks as if I will be without internet, phone or any tv reception in the house. I do have my cell (feel free to call) and I will be sneaking off to the library to blog and pay bills when ever I can. Blessings to you all! D

Thankfully our friends at ANCHOR co-op gave us the Go-Fish DVD when we left on Friday - I played it on my computer over and over and it kept the little ones away from the plumbing mess!

Driving into Colorado Springs!

Patty Broberg here... Dorothy just called and said they're driving into Colorado Springs right now! They had a good drive, even though it was super windy today. And thankfully, they have their own little U-Haul with some essentials because apparently the big truck blew out it's engine somewhere in Iowa (is that right Dorothy?) in a big ice storm. Anyway, at least they have mattresses to sleep on in the meantime.

Weldon prayed yesterday for a sunny day for them when they got into the Springs, and Dorothy said the sun was just setting, and it was beautiful and clear... which is much better than the freezing rain, more rain, fog, and wind they've had until now.

Another thing to pray about: their temporary housing is where the University will have offices in the future... and Dorothy just found out that they're tearing it down in order to build the offices, so she has no idea what shape the house is in. Could be interesting. As Dorothy would say, "Welcome to my life..."

(A side note to Dorothy -- we missed you all at church today. I know it wasn't true, but it felt like half the congregation was missing today.)

From The Road...

All is well here...550 miles later we are safely snuggled into three rooms in Nebraska at a holiday Inn Express. Nothing like moving out of the house to make the road trip seem like a vacation. :) It's been a great day - Daniel appeared before dawn equipped with granola bars, travel treats and willing hands to load those last minute things - like kids and sleeping bags! It was ice and freezing rain through MN, fog, ice and rain through Iowa and into Nebraska. But everyone traveled well. I am absolutely in love with the little trailer we rented from U-haul - usually we pack everything and every one into the van and wrestle all of the food/clothing/gear and bedding into the van under our feet. Not a pretty sight! This time the van is virtually empty - excepting personal backpacks and pillows and everything else is locked up in the trailer. So satisfying for the organizational side of my brain.

Tomorrow we arrive in Colorado and the next part of the adventure begins.

Thank you to everyone who has encouraged us in this season - it makes the leaving easier to see how much we are loved. Doesn't that sound strange?

A New Chapter

As eleven children, two parents, two vans, and one U-haul traverse southern Minnesota en route to Colorado, Corrie post this good-bye on her blog: http://mountupwitheagles.wordpress.com/2010/01/23/a-new-chapter/


Bodes, as you lift up your eyes to the Rocky Mountains, may you see even more vividly where your help comes from: the Lord, the maker of of heaven and earth. He will not let your feet be moved, except to where He is taking you. God is wide-awake and working; He neither slumbers nor sleeps. The Lord is your keeper. Where He is, you are never without a Home. The Lord will keep you from all evil; He ordains all for your good. The Lord is watching over your going, and your coming: today, tomorrow, and forever. (Psalm 122)


Go with our blessings, thanksgiving, and prayers. --Auntie Carrie

Eleventh Hour Impact...

Please be in prayer - doors are opening that have been closed with neighbors and friends and there is the opportunity to speak truth into longing hearts if we can focus our attention on the eternal and not get lost in the busyness of this move.

"God's Purposes will ripen fast...:" a story and a hymn

Anna writes: "I met Dorothy over the phone when she called to say that she would be the adoptive mom of Jerry. My husband and I were blessed to live next door to a foster family about 14 years ago, and God used that relationship/circumstance to plant a seed in our hearts to want to be foster parents. We toyed with the idea and timing over the years, and about 4 years ago we read Desiring God and were a short time later in a small group Bible study for When I Don't Desire God (both books by John Piper). God used the words in those books to propel us to get started fostering.

Jerry was our first foster child, and we were surprised by how much we loved him. There were several specific things we prayed over him during the months he was in our home, and the longer he was with us, the more protective we felt and the more specific we prayed. Some things we asked God for were: a family that was happy with lots of laughter; for siblings; for a mom who did not have to work outside the home; for parents who had been exposed to the same kinds of teaching that prompted us to want to foster. We also asked that his family not be in the "soccer-trap" of living to get children shuttled from one activity to the next without having any time left to devote to anything of any eternal significance. We wanted his family to embrace deeds of mercy and justice.

Between the phone call where Dorothy said that yes, she was familiar with Desiring God and the teachings of John Piper, (as he was their pastor), and the urbanservant blog, where we saw deeds of mercy and justice fleshed out, it gave us confidence that God was placing Jerry in the perfect family for him. We continue to benefit from urbanservant and it has given us awareness of needs we never knew existed. I am amazed at how abandoned the Bodes are to what God lays on their hearts to do, fully aware that it will cost them time and money and sleep and a hundred other comforts for the joy of living poured out for Christ. How they demonstrate their gratefulness for a relationship with Him!

We are better off for knowing the Bodes. They have ministered respectfully and kindly to the mothers of some of their adopted children, and have worked with the local police to reduce crime in their community. They could, other times, be found helping some of their neighbors with such things as offering friendship or food or transportation to a voting poll. Our society needs more Bodes. How grateful I am for the blessing of urbanservant and the exposure it gives to issues like adoption, children with special needs, and racial harmony. God has used it to soften my heart and awaken me to things I'd not fully considered before. I cannot imagine the loss that the Bodes must be struggling with as they prepare to leave Minnesota, and pray for God to direct their path as He moves them and establishes their family in Colorado. Praying blessings on your heads, Anna"

God Moves by William Cowper
God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea
And rides upon the storm.

Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill
He treasures up His bright designs
And works His sov’reign will.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy and shall break
In blessings on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow’r.

Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.

Praying and Moving....

Packing has giving me lots of time to pray over the past two days and the chance to shed many tears over the joy and the suffering in the lives of those I love.

The stories are not mine to share here but please pray for a friend who's cancer may have returned, another who is pregnant (she will be weeping and laughing at the same breath), and for two who are walking through those last desert days when a marriage is dead and the legal paperwork is all that keeps them moving forward. Facing this move looks so simple and easy when I consider the paths I could be taking. Pray with me......

Jan remembers...

“Dorothy showed up on my radar screen when she spoke openly and vulnerably at a high school Sunday school class downtown I was working with on Biblical manhood and womanhood. I don’t even remember to what topic she was assigned, but her lack of defensiveness and self-promotion was remarkable to me, and I sought her out to spend some time with her, occasionally. Some years later, she graciously allowed me to visit with her “in her element” – at home, with her “eight/nine/ten/now eleven” closest friends, a morning a month when enough of us and them were healthy enough for visiting. I hoped to be a blessing to them; I, of course, was most thoroughly blessed, and have little hope that I gave as much as I received.

So many good things have already been said – I loved Julie’s ABCs, and Scott’s 11 reasons, and I’m not feeling that creative, but here are my thoughts, such as they are:

• Dorothy consistently challenges me to think outside my comfortable middle-class life and lifestyle. She lives out “What would Jesus do?” and shows me what she thinks might be His answer for her.



• Her thorough disregard for what other people think about her is both refreshing and frightening. I watch to see what it looks like to live for Jesus – her audience of one.



• Her willingness both to tackle jobs I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole and knowing when to hire out is amazing to me.



• Her gracious gift of going the second mile in so many things – and third, and fourth mile (does seventy times seven apply here, too?). When I called her in tears in the midst of post-partum depression, Robert sent her over to point me back to the truth I knew – that God wouldn’t call me to do anything He wouldn’t carry me through.



• Her confidence in God and His sovereignty and goodness is steadfast.



• Her ability to accept help graciously is likewise encouraging and a model for me. It is a warm memory of receiving phone calls from her to help pray for wisdom and patience during a particularly trying day with a child, and allowing me to speak truth, cry with her, and pray for God’s provision.



• Her transparency of life is both reproach to my desire to hide and evidence of Jesus’ saving work in her.
  
  God has been so abundantly generous to me in allowing me to share a small piece of Dorothy’s world while He’s lent her to us here in Minnesota. May He continue to grow, use, and bless Dorothy, Robert, John, Leah, Jesse, Josh, Jimmy, Lydia, Noel, Lily, Joe, Jere, and Isaac as He takes them to their next adventure and assignment: Colorado Springs! Anyone want to start planning a visit? --Jan”

Crazy Update - Thanks For Praying...

I am SO loving this pack the house with a professional team thing! It's like a mommy dream come true (now that the nightmare part of getting ready and facing the reality is past.) And my great husband has the kids out at the zoo and then eagle watching so I am a totally free woman!

The Cyber Celebration continues!

When you're done being encouraged by these words, be sure to scroll down for posts from Dorothy. The movers are in Day 1 of a projected three days of packing!

Continuing the cyber celebration of God's work in and through the Bodes, Hannah writes: “I discovered Dorothy's blog about a year ago, right around the time that they were waiting for everything to go through with Jerry's adoption. My husband and I had been in our own waiting process for some months, and then we continued to wait for several months more. I love her (their) heart for what God has called them to. I love the style of their sacrificial living, and I have been repeatedly challenged in my own life by reading about their readiness to give to others. I have been inspired by many of Dorothy's practical posts--she has so many great ideas for daily living that even the mundane stuff (sorting through winter clothes) is an outpouring of God's blessings in the lives around her family (being a steward of "God's warehouse"). The blog posts that sticks out most to me, and has been the most helpful in aligning my view of our trans-racial family with God's glory, is http://urbanservant.blogspot.com/search?q=city+on+a+hill. I have remembered it many times when I am tempted to become defensive at the insensitive questions about our adopted daughter.Thank you, Dorothy (and Robert), for being so willing to be used by God to encourage others. Thank you for writing about your struggles in mediating between your kids and the world. Thank you for serving God in such a way that challenges us all to find exactly how it is that we are to be serving Him. --Hannah in Idaho, with bio kids 6 and 4, and adopted girl 7 months”

Michaela shared this update to her family's story on her blog: http://www.homeschoolblogger.com/Sojourner00/759563/

Send your own good-byes and stories to Auntie Carrie at: zeman1102 at usfamily dot net !

Power Start- A Twix Bar and Coffee at 4:00am.....

It's packing day! The movers will be here in a little over 4 hours and I have had enough of a nap to tackle the rest of the kitchen and basement with a positive attitude. Thankfully Robert took baby duty overnight and Jerry work me up on time by crying for me at 4:00. It all works out doesn't it? Time to pour!

Let's Pray for Ben in Alabama..........

Our friends Julie and Mark have an amazing heart for the very least likely to be adopted kids in America - those with serious and even terminal health conditions. Currently they are working towards adopting their #11 treasure as soon as possible, because his time on this earth may be very short which makes every day even more precious.

We agree with them that no child should have to live without a forever family to love them and none should have to die without one either. This is the link to Julies latest post about this treasure named Ben. Would you pray with me that God will open the doors to allow him to come home to this family that is aching to call him their own?

Mentors - Other Adults Who Help Shape Our Kids.....

Isn't that a great photo? My teen boy and his adult friend Pat, engaging in a sport that they both love passionately and connect over. In a world where people expect teens to be surly and unhappy I love a vision that says 'why does it have to be that way?' How about taking those stretching, testing, pre-adult tensions and turning them into teachable times vs angry destructive ones? How about treasuring relationships like these two have and watching strong adults help lead our teens into adulthood? I love this - not that I am able to control my nasty mommy temper any better when he pushes my buttons - but that he is building healthy adult relationships and growing into that bigger world with good friends like Pat.

(Bonus! my younger boys like Pat's boys also............)

Another Goodbye

Megan posted these encouraging words on her blog: http://colombianbrewed.blogspot.com/2010/01/another-goodbye.html

The Bode ABCs

Julie Martindale posted this lovely tribute on her blog Saturday evening: http://blessedby10.blogspot.com/2010/01/bode-abcs.html

Thank you, God, for the Bodes and like-minded, kindred hearts like the Martindales who inspire us by pointing us to Your all-sufficient power and grace! –Aunty Carrie

11 Reasons to Like the Bodes

Scott Jamison put his list, "Eleven Reasons the Jamison Family Likes the Bode Family" on his blog: http://responsiblefather.com/2010/01/16/11-reasons-the-jamison-family-likes-the-bodefamily/

Enjoy!

Blessings and Favorite Posts

Heather says: “"I consider Dorothy to be a dear friend, even though we've never met in real life! I found Dorothy and her blog when we both did an interview for Carolina Hope's adoption blog. Then our first conversation by email occurred while she was in Korea helping her friend Carrie receive their little girl. She helped encourage me in the Lord when Korea initially turned down our request to adopt our little Corey due to our family size. Besides encouraging me to follow God and helping me with the details of beginning to be a large adoptive family, Dorothy's help and advice in the middle of a crisis was such a blessing from God. When our newly adopted son with FASD had significant difficulties, Dorothy didn't hesitate to give me her phone number and drop everything to talk to me that day. I honestly don't think I could travel this road of FASD with my child without her love, her honesty and her encouragement. Thank you Dorothy for being a friend and walking with me when I didn't know there was anyone who could understand! I pray God's blessings on you and your family as you begin a new chapter together!" --Heather Hanna

Sue sent this: “Dorothy,
I was introduced to your blog by a friend of yours, Corrie Ayers. I had asked her if she knew anyone with information regarding FASD, and then she began sharing with me about you and your family. Since that time, I've become a regular reader. I wanted to let you know what an inspiration you are to me. Your posts leave me feeling encouraged and challenged. A year ago, my husband and I started feeling very challenged about our very white, safe, self-centered lifestyle. God has used all sorts of things to move us out of our comfort zone. We are now foster parents (with the hope of adopting) who long to love and care for the children, and their workers, in a very overwhelmed and broken system.

Some of my favorite posts are:
3/9/09 and 3/12/09 - referring to a "homogeneous, self-centered, two-children, double-latte life".
http://urbanservant.blogspot.com/2009/03/we-are-city-on-hill-when-we-adopt.html

8/15/09 - Why do we live in the City? - ". . .We don't want to waste our lives or those of our children by simply floating along with the current, luke-warm and flabby". http://urbanservant.blogspot.com/2009/08/why-do-we-live-in-city.html
In response to these posts, I say "Amen!"

Yes, Dorothy, you are "a pitcher filled with Living Water" - the Living Water - splashing it on everyone you come in contact with :). May God richly bless you, Robert and your dear family. You truly are a special gift to all of us.

With love,
Sue"

Join the cyber celebration of God's work in Dorothy's life! Send your submission to Auntie Carrie at: zeman1102 at usfamily dot net and I'll post them in the coming weeks as Dorothy and her family transition to their new home in Colorado.

Joining the Conversation

Blessed comments: “What a wonderful gift all these loving words are. I pray they encourage and help sustain you during the rough weeks ahead!... Praying for your move!” Blessed passes to Dorothy “…the Sunshine Award [the sunny orange Gerbera] which is given to someone whose positivity and creativity inspires you."

Traci writes, “My husband and I had the pleasure of meeting Dorothy and Robert at New Horizons in 2007 when we were in the beginning stages of adopting our daughter from Uganda, Africa.The biggest blessing for us from them was when we had concerns about being white and raising a black child and Robert told us... if something is good, it is good, the color of the child doesn't matter.We have had our daughter home for 1 1/2 yrs. now, raising her with that in mind. If it is good for her it is good for our sons, if it is good for our sons it is good for her. She is doing well and blossoms more each day.Dorothy and Robert-may God continue to bless you and your family. May the next chapter of your lives be as fruitful as the closing one.Be blessed,Traci”

Auntie Carrie says, “Click here http://urbanservant.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-interrupt-this-regularly-scheduled.html to see what we’re up to and join us!”

This Week....

Isaac is filling out and waking up out of the newborn haze.

Tuesday his legal risk period ended so we can adopt him...sigh of relief!
Lydia is sporting a good set of steri-strips from a tumble down the stairs.

John dove into Pastor John's new book and got a little choked up over his last day volunteering at DG.

12 of us had dentists appointments even Jerry- only one cavity in the whole bunch!

I said goodbye to my uniform and civilian friends at the Minneapolis Police Department - Carol blessed me with my own MPD travel mug.

We visited our pediatrician for the last (Lord willing!) time for a couple of quick followups. We are sure going to miss her - and her candy jar that is always stocked with chocolate.

The stress is starting to manifest in interesting ways. Jerry isn't able to stop eating and he is wearing my shoes all over the house...

We passed on the Year 3 TOG books to another family. Sigh...it was a sweet season of homeschooling while it lasted. Thanks Jan for sharing them so freely with us! Tick..Tick...Tick....seven days from now we will be sleeping in a totally empty house and preparing to leave MN at the crack of dawn. BTW the offer on the house fell through so we are back on the market again.

Let the conversations begin!

Opening the cyber celebration conversation...

Daniel Walton shares: "I met Dorothy through a mutual friend, and began talking with Dorothyabout life and getting advice from her. She proved to be spot-on withher advice during a personal crisis of mine, and she loved me enoughto care to ask probing and piercing questions to try to help me byhelping me understand myself better. I've only known her for a littleover 6 months, but I will feel the loss when they move. Her kids havetreated me like an older brother, and all this has made the versestrue for me from Mark 10:29."

Tara Barthel: "God graciously led me to Dorothy’s blog just as my husband, a deacon in our little Presbyterian church, was working hard with a few other like-minded people to help our church become more aware of, committed to, and supportive of, glorifying God through the ministry of adoption. I have introduced UrbanServant to more people than I could possibly count and I regularly marvel at God’s ministry through this remarkable woman and her remarkable family. God bless you, dear Dorothy, as you make the move to Colorado Springs. You’ll be closer to us here in Montana! (So when you’re ready for a Montana adventure, please just let us know.) Your sister in Christ—Tara B."

Encourage Dorothy by joining in our cyber conversation about God's work in and through her life! The how-to's are in the first cyber cebration post here: http://urbanservant.blogspot.com/2010/01/i-interrupt-this-regularly-scheduled.html

How Am I Doing..........

Fine Thanks!!!

(No - it's not twins and I am not really freaking out-

just a funny photo from Monday with baby Marcus)

MICAH Families....

If anyone wants a copy of the 8 or 9 year old MICAH video Children of Destiny (I am not sure if these copies are DVD or VHS) Juli Servatius has a few copies that she can't bear to throw away. Interested? please email her at..... servatius@comcast.net

I interrupt this regularly scheduled blog...

…with a public service announcement. This is Auntie Carrie. In less than two weeks, Dorothy and family will be leaving Minnesota for Colorado Springs. So many people have asked, “What can I do? How can I help?” On behalf of the Church Yadies (an old Dorothy story), I’d like to issue two invitations.

If you can be there in person, Sunday, January 17, during the 11:00 AM service at the North Campus, Bethlehem is hosting a goodbye-be reception for Dorothy and Robert. Please join us! The first service is at 9:00 AM if you’d like to join us for church first; there is Sunday School for children during the 11:00 service. For directions, go to http://www.hopeingod.org/ and click on North Campus directions on the home page. If you’d like to help practically, please bring cookies for the reception! If you’d like ideas for ways to tangibly say good-bye, please keep reading.

Whether you can say good-bye in person or not, please join us here on Dorothy’s blog for a cyber celebration. Imagine what we’d all talk about if we all got together over tea and chocolate cake: “The first time I met Dorothy…”; “Remember the time when…”; “My favorite urbanservant blog post was…”; “We were unexpectedly blessed from God’s Warehouse when….”; “Dorothy inspired me to….” We trade stories, laugh together, cry together, and stay up past bedtime, encouraged and inspired by God’s work in Dorothy’s life to go and do likewise. Let’s bless Dorothy together over these next months of transition by making this a place she can come to for encouragement and support.

Here’s how you can join the cyber celebration. Write a blog post and email it to me (see below). Tell a Dorothy story or share a prayer or a special hymn or passage of scripture –whatever God lays on your heart. Or, if you have your own blog and make a Dorothy post there, send me the link. I will collect the submissions and spread them out as posts over the next several months so we can all bless Dorothy the way God has used her to bless us.

To submit a blog post, to pledge prayer support, or if you’d like ideas for other ways you can tangibly support to Dorothy and her family during these next months of transition, please contact me by converting this into standard form: zeman1102 at usfamily dot net
--Auntie Carrie

Whom Shall We Serve?

"Whom shall we serve?" Was the question posed to the three year olds at Sunday School today. Word on the street is that my little Joe piped up with the answer "ME!"

Hmmmm....I know we have spoiled his little cuteness a bit more than the others, but this might just be a hint that something needs to shift.

One Sunday Left....Cookies and Coffee on Sunday?

One Sunday left at Bethlehem, 12 days left in Minnesota. After 15 years, and over 700 Sundays together our family is standing on that 'last Sunday' bridge into our new life and yet-to-be revealed ministry in Colorado Springs.

Next Sunday Heather Elting-Ballard is hatching a plan for an informal coffee and cookies goodbye event during and after the second service at the North campus. I will be sure to have a fresh box of Kleenex with me and bring my unopened Bible in case anyone wants to leave a note there. How do I say goodby to so many people that feel like family?

The Gift I Refuse To Open............

The joke around here is that I always ask for the same two things for Christmas - a new baby and a new Bible. Both arrived on schedule this year and one I have had the fun (and responsibility) to unwrap the first one several times a day for diaper changes.

The second one I refuse to open. Robert bought me a new journaling ESV Bible which I appreciate and will enjoy - but before giving it to me he passed it around to some of my friends and they wrote notes in it to me. I can't open it yet. I need to keep moving forward in this marathon that is the 'move' and I am afraid that if I stop to read the sweet words of my friends I will fall into a hopeless mess and be...well worthless. I do plan to read the notes once I am in Colorado and can take the time to fall apart. But until then...anyone who wants to write in it may - I will bring it to church in case - but I am not going to take that journey of my heart until I can do it well.

Baby Season is Open (holding not hunting)....

Times up! The two week rule for Isaac is past and all of you who have been chomping to get your hands on him can line up now. (FYI: The two week rule is one our agency has that stipulates only immediate family is supposed to care for and enjoy the adopted little ones for the first two weeks in order to encourage bonding.) So far he is loving the attention.

Guess Who is Two...

Jerry is!

14 months ago he was a stunned baby leaving his loving foster family in Alabama and landing in the wildness of our home. Now he is a toddler who runs with the pack and has enough personality for a couple of kids his age. So what does a toddler in our house receive for their birthday? Cars (from after Christmas clearance)and a pair of wonderful leather tennis shoes (from the kids consignment store.) Because of the timing he is NOT getting the standard - you are two and ready to be potty trained- set of 12 undies. In his estimation the best present of all came from A/P and the boys. A sturdy wooden car ramp and REI clearance sleeping bag for the CO adventure!

Starting the Goodbyes....

There are only two Sundays left here in MN......we started the goodbyes last weekend and it feels like ripping out pieces of my heart.Each of our kids births has been celebrated by Pastor John - here some of the big kids are introducing Isaac to him and getting a good Sunday hug last week. I am tearing up thinking about this as my 8 oldest all know his voice and joyfully identify him from sermon cds and advent poems whenever we listen on the road......what a sweet season this has been in MN.

I Have to Show it to Sell it.....

Thankfully we had a break in the house showings over the past week, but starting Sunday the calls started up again. One Sunday, another tomorow and who knows how many more later in the week that I don't know about yet since they tend to give 3-16 hours notice. We have a new protocol in our homeschool program called 'getting the house ready for a showing.' Basically it means that what ever the plan, everything is dropped when we get the call and need to pull everything together in a hurry. The kids and I are really getting good at it but I will be happy to be done with this portion of the move.

10:45pm Saturday night........

By midnight it looks like this...

And this.......

And this was a horrible 11:30pm moment....windex is now banned when the outside temps fall into the negative teens. I had to use a pancake turner to de-ice the front door after I had a momentary loss of reason and liberally applied it to those sticky finger prints.

MICAH Follow-up ....

We had a little MICAH baby party at our house today: Isaac and Marcus got to hang.

Photo courtesy of Lily

The MICAH Fund just let us know that they have issued our grant check so any additional gifts they receive after today will go to support other adoptions. A great investment either way - but if you want to support Isaac's specific placement that avenue is now closed and any additional help will have to be directly through us or our agency.

Covering Isaac's Bills....

If anyone is considering helping with Isaac's adoption costs through the MICAH Fund please contact them via telephone or email as soon as possible. They are preparing to mail our grant to New Horizons and any designated gifts need to be received before that check is sent. We still don't have a bill, but no matter how much I fantasize about it I don't think the 8th adoption is free. :)

Comment from Tamika and a Follow Up Request Before I Answer.....

A reader named Tamika who I am not familiar with (and who had no identifying link on blogger) left the following comment today.

"...... I would be interested in hearing you do a post on raising black males in this culture... I'm somewhat cynical personally about white couples raising black males, I understand that they are cute babies when they are little but our culture is not friendly to them when they get beyond the little kid "cute stage". In fact, a great deal of hostility and racism is waiting. How do you and your white husband approach this issue? have you thought about it?"

One thing I have learned over the past two years of blogging as a transracial adoptive mom is to find out a little about who I am answering when I have questions like this. I have been stunned at the angry pain filled accusations that strangers will hurl at families like us when we are willing to talk about the issues that come with our adoptions. By the time I have worked through the details of our adoptions with most people who are 'concerned' about our adoptions they have shifted from 'accusing us' to making us the 'exception.' Not that we are special or doing it right - there is just a lot of mis information about adoption out there that tends to push peoples buttons and make them lash out.

If Tamika reads this and wants to introduce herself I would love to engage in a healthy conversation about helping adopted kids function in all of their cultural circles - be that AA, NA, Asian, African or any other. I have done a little reflection on this in a past post What I Can Teach My Kids About Being Black in case she wants to start there. Maybe this is a new friend, or maybe an old one surfacing again.

Ideas Wanted: 8 Things in 8 weeks.....

From January 26th to March 26th we will be in a small rental house near the University in Colorado Springs. We will have all of the basic things we need to camp there - sleeping bags, mattresses, cooking gear and school materials but I think that it will go better if I have one field trip planned each week to explore our new environment.

Ideas anyone? Being from Seattle I am not afraid of hour drive to get to a destination and if they offer a family rate all the better. The other things I could use help with are church, Tae Kwon Do, and Home School group recommendations. Both the rental house and the house we are under contract to buy are in the Powers neighborhood so we are fairly central.

Missing - One Roof Rake?

(My little helpers watching mom on the roof...)

Ten years ago I purchased the only roof rake in our neighborhood. It has passed from house to house as the urge to rake snow off roofs overcomes each us us and has always returned to us at the end of each winter. Except this one - today I was struck with the urge to remove the drifts that were obstructing the view from my bedroom windows and I was stunned to find it missing. Darn - I really hope that it is snugly tucked into the corner of someone elses garage on the block rather than following the suspected fate of our first 22 foot ladder into the aluminum recycling center.

The good news was that I have climbed out on that little roof enough times this summer that I was not deterred - to the kids delight I simply reversed the process and shoveled the snow off by sanding on the roof instead of the ground. I am sure more than one neighbor chuckled at the site of me shoveling my roof off in this mornings 4 degree sunshine. Maybe it will inspire them to 'remember' just where the rake is hiding and maybe it will return before the next snowfall.