The Year of Parties

So for better or for worse, we're really not a big birthday party family.  We celebrate birthdays but don't really get into parties with friends.  It's just not our thing.  But, feeling that Vero needed to have at least one experience with a special themed birthday party, I saddled up with a few random inspirations and trusty Pinterest at my side and made this the year of themed-birthday parties for each one of the kids.

So, hold up, I'm getting ahead of myself.  This year was our first Christmas all TOGETHER as a family.  And what a celebration it was!  As you can tell from the picture below it was practically perfect in every way.

Here are a few other pictures from Christmas morning

Magical, right?

Now, onto the birthdays...

 C has been into reading chapter books.  He's been excited in particular about starting the Hardy Boys series, so I took that as a theme and ran with it.  Taking a nod from the very first book in the series, The Tower Treasure, we based the party on finding the missing treasure from Tower Mansion.  Invitations were mailed in sealed manila envelopes marked "Top Secret".  Guests arrived at "Tower Mansion" to find a crime scene and had to offer up the secret password before entering. 

 Happy 7th Birthday C-dog!

This tray was out for observation for a bit.  Then it was taken away and guests had to use their detective skills to recall as many things from the "scene" as they could.  

Later we played a version of hot potato with the homemade "dynamite" on the tray.   

C wasn't excited about that or anything.  

Check out this magnifying glass cake and the detective holding it.  

Here are the little detectives deciphering clues to find the Tower Treasure.  

The treasure consisted of gold coins and jewels.

After some snacks. guests left with their very own Case Files including mystery solving necessities

 like magnifying glasses, notebooks for writing down clues, spy gear

 and candy to keep up their energy on the job.  

V's birthday is just 5 days after C's which means that in the span of a week we hosted 2 birthday parties.  While we had a great time, I'm not so sure that will happen again :)  

For our vibrant and colorful V, we had a rainbow themed birthday party.  

Invitations went out on paint swatch samples.  

Check out that outfit - yep, she proudly picked it herself.  

What Rainbow party is complete without a rainbow of streamers?

As guests arrived they worked on coloring in a banner. 

Here is the final product.

We played some rainbow themed games, ate some rainbow themed food...

and used the colors of the rainbow to make some beautiful creations.  

Somehow I missed taking pictures of the final products, so this picture of our supplies will have to suffice.  

Happy 7th Birthday V!

Stay tuned for our next birthday party installment - Spa & Camping themes are up next.

 

It's been a Year

It has been A YEAR since Vero and I landed at the La Crosse airport after traveling 30+ long hours from Uganda.  Vero's first travel experience was quite the adventure.  Though it's been a year, I remember it clearly.  We started the day off by saying goodbye to some of the missionaries at GSF.  It had rained the night before, making the red clay roads muddy and a bit treacherous.  As we traveled I prayed that the car wouldn't get stuck in the mud like the huge farm equipment we had seen stranded along our route.  We arrived safely at our first destination - Watoto Church.  We made our way through the metal detectors and under the enormous white tent.  We found a place to sit near the back which was good because I started crying when the first song began and tears proceeded to roll down my cheeks the. entire. service. I made a complete spectacle of myself - the only muzungo in a sea of dark faces with a little Ugandan girl at my side and it that wasn't eye catching enough, I was weeping.  I can't explain why exactly, I was just overwhelmed by all that we had been through and all the unknown yet to come.  And then there was something so powerful and humbling about singing Chris Tomlin's worship songs on the other side of the world.  We sang the song, "Your Grace is Enough".  Here are some of the words:  

"Great is your love and justice, God

You use the weak to lead the strong

You lead us in the song of your salvation

And all your people sing along.

Remember Your people,

 Remember Your children

Remember Your promise, oh God.

Your grace is enough....for me."

I was begging God to remember me, remember us, equip us in the biggest transition of our lives and praying that somehow, some way it would all be used for His glory.

I finally pulled myself together and we left the worship service.  We had some time to kill so we went to the Entebbe Zoo.  Vero had never seen so many animals and didn't know quite what to do with it all.  She was not a fan of being close to the animals and wanted nothing to do with the camel rides or the monkeys that were running around all over the grounds.  But she did enjoy watching the orangutans, and of course was happy to get a snack (we did a lot of bonding over food those first few weeks and months).  Finally it was time to hear to the airport to catch our midnight flight.   

Even though it was getting late, she refused to sleep. Her face didn't give it away, but her alertness revealed her excitement about riding on a plane.  For hours she look expectantly out the window.  We got through the luggage check, then security and finally to the dreaded immigration desk.  After some fuss and panic over paperwork we were finally able to get through to our gate.  The flight was delayed and by the time we got on the plane it was nearly 1:00 am.  We took our seats and buckled up, but before the plane took off, Vero finally gave in to her tired state and fell asleep.  When we landed in London, Vero spent much of our 3-4 hour layover watching planes take off every two minutes.  She was loving the traveling and only tried to walk off with random strangers once. Ha!

Finally, after one more excruciating layover, we arrived in La Crosse and walked into the arms of our family and friends.

And now, it's a year later.  I'm not going to lie.  During these last 12 months we have faced very real heartaches and challenges.  While the "coming home" pictures are beautiful and precious, the reality is that meshing together two different worlds, six personalities and lots of unmet expectations has been tough. For all of us.  I've learned a lot about myself.  Not all of it has been good.  I recently saw a post on an adoption Facebook group that I can completely relate to: 

Just think, without adoption we would have believed we were still good parents.  We would have been able to look at ourselves and not see the really ugly mess hidden under the surface.  Some people live their whole lives without discovering the beastly parts of their parenting, never knowing it's in there, deep inside under the surface. God has chosen to bless us by revealing the dark things we never thought we were capable of feeling/doing through adoption.  We may be surprised by the way we feel or the way we respond, but God isn't.  He knew we were capable of this the whole time.     

It seems weird to think of a mirror that reveals the ugliest parts of you as a blessing, but it has been.  By being more aware of my mess, our messes, we've experienced so much growth and progress.  While we still have a long way to go - and I know I will continue to mess up daily - God is good and faithful.  He has remembered us.  He has kept his promise.  He has grafted us together as a family.  He is healing brokenness - in my life and in each of the lives of our children. 

In her book, "Kisses from Katie," Katie Davis writes,

"Adoption is wonderful and beautiful and the greatest blessing I have ever experienced.  Adoption is also difficult and painful.  Adoption is a beautiful picture of redemption.  It is the Gospel in my living room.  And sometimes it's just hard."

I am so grateful to the friends and family who have rallied around us in love, practical support, and prayer these past years.  Thank you for being there during the hard times. Thank you for celebrating the good and reminding me of it when I couldn't see it.  Thank you for helping us live out the call of the Gospel right in our living room.   

Share the LOVE

 It is nearly impossible to talk about Vero's adoption without mentioning the place that was her home for the last 5 years before coming home to her "forever family".  That place is Good Shepherd's Fold orphanage in Uganda.  Good Shepherd's Fold (GSF) is nestled between two little villages about 20 km west of Jinja in the Buikwe District.  While one of its primary goals is to share the love of Jesus by meeting the needs of the children in its care, it is so much more than "just" an orphanage.  In addition to caring for the 90 children that reside there, GSF operates a school that serves more than 300 children, provides free medical care to the community through their clinic, and offers humanitarian assistance as well as evangelistic outreach to the surrounding communities.  

Why am I telling you all of this you might be wondering.  I'm telling you because my experience during our brief stay at this place has claimed part of my heart.  Even though we've been home 6 weeks now, a day hasn't gone by that I haven't thought about GSF and the people there.  The missionaries and the children are in my prayers and have consumed my thoughts.  We have poured over pictures of the dear ones we met
 and have prayed for them by name.  

What is it about GSF that has made such an impression? 

 I'll do my best to tell you.    

The missionaries at GSF serve wholeheartedly and give so much of themselves day after day.  They serve with humility, grace, generosity and love.  These people have a passion for the children in their care and invest in their lives in a beautiful and rich way.  They bring the hope of the gospel by living it out and 
by teaching the "least of these." (Matt. 25:31-46)

It's the drastic difference between Ugandan life in comparison with life in the States. I've been moved by coming home to SO much material wealth.  Meanwhile life in Uganda, in so many ways, is so. much. simpler.  Daily life is a struggle to survive for most.  Acquiring basic necessities, like food and water, is an ongoing challenge.  Seeing the way others live (as in the majority of the world's population) has really messed me up.   I can no longer go into my previous favorite stores without feeling literally ill and repulsed by the amount of stuff.  Definition of STUFF - things I've been fooled into thinking I need.  And I've taken the bait, folks, hook, line, and sinker.  Experiencing life on the "other side" has caused me to examine my life and my heart to reveal what I truly value and where I place my hope.  (For more on being messed up in a good way read Jen Hatmaker's book 7: An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess, Shane Claiborne's Irresistible Revolution, and Francis Chan's Crazy Love)

 What else has made an impression?  Definitely the children.  Here are just a few of the special children we met.  When you look at their pictures I don't just want you to see a Ugandan child on the other side of the world.  
I want you to look into their eyes and know their names.  

This is Festo, Nicholas and Micah.  

Prayerfully one of these sweet boys will be joining his forever family in America soon.  

This is dear Lilly.  She loves her Bible and definitely has my heart.

This is Jessica.  She came to GSF with her brother and sister Joan (pictured below).  

This is Ishmael.  He is the same age as our Porter (2 1/2) but due to severe malnutrition he is very low in weight for his age and behind developmentally.  With quality care at GSF he is growing in stature and

progressing developmentally as well.  

This is Betty.  Her smile lights up any room. 

This is sweet Matthew, one of the several children at GSF with special needs.  

Whatever the reason and whatever the way, 

God has given me a burden for these children and a passion for the work at GSF. 

This brings us back to my original question.  Why am I telling you?  

I'm telling you because I want you to know about the work at GSF and care about the ministry and people there, too.  I know that on my own I am so very limited to what I'm able to do and give.  But I know - because I've seen it - that when people come together they can make an incredible difference and impact others for good.  

This organization needs the help and support of people like you in order for them to serve these children and their community.  

I'm asking you to consider coming alongside this ministry with me to help those in need. 

What can you do to help?

You can pray - pray for the work being done there, for the missionaries and employees, 

as well as for the children who live at and attend school at GSF. 

You can sponsor a child -  The sponsorship program at Good Shepherd's Fold has three primary goals:

1. To provide a meaningful relationship between each child and his/her sponsor

2. To provide prayer support for each child

3. To provide GSF with the funds necessary to care for each child.  

The cost to sponsor a GSF child is $35 a month.  Each child at Good Shepherd's Fold needs at least 3 sponsors to cover basic expenses.  

For more information on child sponsorship through GSF click HERE

You can give directly to GSF -  Support the ministry financially by clicking here

You can help provide basic supplies - right now some of the greatest needs are black shoes for school (all sizes), underwear (boys & girls size 2T-4T), pajamas (for warmer weather) for toddlers and older children, and all-in-one cloth diapers for the babies home (here's a link for the diapers).  If you are willing to donate items, get them to me by March 9th and I will make sure they get to GSF.   

James 1:27 says, "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after widows and orphans in their distress..."

There are so many ways to get involved.  Please, share the love of Christ by putting your faith and religion into action.  Make a difference in the life of another.  Let these children know that they are not forgotten.  Show them that you care.  

  

Introducing Our Girl

We've been home about a month now and I think it's high time she makes her debut.  Please forgive us for the delay.  My "type A" on-top-of-it personality apparently got left behind in Uganda.

Introducing the newest member of our family, sweet and playful 

Vero!

As you may be able to tell by the picture, she has a bit of a sassy side too.  

Hmm, sassy & sweet?  She just may be a little like her Momma.  

Here is a timeline of where we've been and the steps God faithfully 

guided us through to bring her home to us.  

Fall of 2011 - Seriously begin considering adoption for our family.  This involved lots of prayer and the use of a little thing we call Google.  

January 4, 2012 - feel a nudge from the Lord that there is a 4 year old girl out there waiting to join our family

March 12 - First home study visit - a home study is a report written by a social worker stating whether or not they can recommend the family for adoption.  This just happened to correspond with demo on our bathroom.  "Hello, welcome to our home.  Don't mind the dust or the fact that we haven't showered." Yep, bad planning.  

Adoption paperwork is now my full time job.

May 24 - After three in person visits, more paperwork and lots of training our home study is complete!  

May 25 - Applications to Good Shepherd's Fold and USCIS turned in and mailed off - 

we didn't waste any time!

July 8 - Biometrics at USCIS in the Twin Cities

July & August - Lots and lots of fundraising and prayers for God to make this possible.  Read more about it here and here.  

August 31 - Interview with Jimmy from GSF

September 1 - Meet with a whole group of families who have served at and adopted from GSF.  Seeing this community of believers with their little ones was an amazing experience for us and now more than ever we were hoping and praying that this was the direction the Lord would have for us.

September 14 - Found out we were approved to adopt by the Leadership Team at GSF.  YAY! 

October 1  - Received our referral for Vero, 5 years old at the time.  I look at her birthday and realize the Lord was whispering to me about her when she was 4 years old!

"Soon to the be the proud Momma of 4: 3 homegrown & 1 heart grown!"

November 11 - Meet up with some GSF adoptive families and some past and current missionaries serving there.  

November 20 - Phone call from Claudia.  Seeing all those extra numbers on the caller ID sure made my heart beat!  We have a court date - Dec. 18!

December 12 - Leave for Uganda.  

December 13  - Meet Vero in the Entebbe airport!  I wish we would have taken a picture but it was like 1:00 AM and we were all so very tired (plus the vain side of myself really did not want documentation of how disgusting I look after 30+ hours of travel, thank you very much.)  Here is a picture of her all dressed up the next day. 

December 14 - First court date

December 17 - Second court date

December 20 - Legal Guardianship granted!

December 21 - Went to the passport office to turn in paperwork.  Trying to rush things through before the holidays, we ended up getting our passport by the end of the day.  

Being in Uganda in December definitely had its perks!

December 22 - Medical Exam at IOM

December 24 - Official theme song for our journey to the Pearl of Africa declared: 

10, 000 Reasons

OK, that didn't really happen.  But we were blessed to walk this road with a family who live just down the highway from us in Minneapolis.  As God would have it, they were in UG the same time we were - we went through court dates, embassy appointments, many hours of waiting at the coffee shop across the street from the attorney's office, and the passport office together. Ryan leads worship at a church in the Twin Cities and he led worship a few times at GSF.  This song was always on the list.  

December 25 - Celebrate Christmas in Uganda!

December 27 - Turn in paperwork at the Embassy in Kampala

January 2, 2013 - Interview at the Embassy

January 3 - Pick up the visa from the Embassy 

January 6 - After some panic at the airport in Entebbe, we made our flight, flew to London, then Chicago, and then...

January 7 - Arrived at Home!

Look at all these great people who welcomed us!

If you haven't heard me say it before, thank you to everyone who helped us bring this precious child home.  I am overwhelmed by how many people God has used throughout this process and the variety of ways they've been a blessing.  We will never know this side of heaven just how many people offered prayers on our behalf but we are truly grateful.  We are grateful for every prayer, every word of encouragement, every dollar given, every act of kindness, and every person who walked this road beside us.  

From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you!

4 Stockings for 4 Kiddos!

In less than 2 weeks Ben and I will be leaving for Africa.  This promises to be the craziest and most exciting - and probably most emotional - Christmas we've ever experienced.  Our bags are packed, the Christmas decorations are up - all that remains on our holiday "to-do" list is prayer and preparing ourselves and our wee ones for our departure.

I know I've said it one thousand times but truly, God has provided in incredible ways.  Every need - spiritual, physical, monetary - has been met.  And they've been met by you.  We can't express our gratitude enough for everyone who has supported our family throughout this journey. More to me now than ever before Christmas is a reason for celebrating God's faithfulness - the fulfillment of a promise, of many promises.

Rejoicing in His faithfulness in our lives and yours,

The Wilsons

Give Thanks

Thanksgiving is my very favorite holiday.  In comparison with other major holidays, its focus remains simple - a time to give thanks, a time to connect with loved ones.  In our family, we try to find new ways to show our gratitude every year. We started a tradition a few years back of writing our blessings on a table cloth.  We take it out every year and add more for which we are grateful.  (Note, if you want to do this make sure you have plastic or cardboard underneath the cloth.  Permanent marker that bleeds through the table cloth onto your mother-in-law's table doesn't go over so well.)

One year we wrote down what we were thankful for on leaves made out of paper, and then placed the leaves on a branch we found in the yard.  M was 4 years old and it was the first time she sounded words out in writing.  She was thankful for "BORBE" (translation - Barbie).  Nice, huh? Last year the children made turkeys out of pine cones - each tail feather listed a blessing.  This year we are making a paper chain - each link lists a reason to give thanks.  I gave M and C an assignment - each day they needed to come up with one new thing they were grateful for and add it to the chain.  I thought they'd get tired of it after the first day or two, but they been so excited to do this each day that instead of listing one, they've listed multiple things they're grateful for every day.  In the past week they've spent hours thinking about and writing about the blessings in their lives.  Here's one thing that our 5-year-old wrote that completely melted my heart:

In case you can't read the phonetically spelled message, here's the translation:
"I'm thankful for my new sister."

Our chain is now 7 feet long and growing.  We'll take it to Grandma & Papa's farm this week and more blessings will be added.  Our lives are so rich with blessing.  My life is blessed with the sound of laughter and tears of children.  I'm blessed with a husband who works diligently to support our family.  I'm blessed with a loving family.  I'm blessed with friends who challenge me, sharpen me, and laugh with me.  I'm blessed with Christian brothers and sisters who encourage me and lift me up in prayer.  I'm blessed with the ding of the washer - what a blessing to have clothes to wash and a family that wears them.  I'm blessed by God's faithfulness - he answers prayer and draws us closer to Himself.  There are so many reasons to give thanks.

What are you thankful for this Thanksgiving?

At Work in the Wait

It's been a while since I've posted.  We've been busy filling out paperwork, getting documents for the affidavit notarized and preparing our home for an additional member.  We've been sorting and packing and getting immunizations and letters from employers and gathering up activities for the plane ride and communicating with pediatricians and all sorts of other things in addition to "regular life."  So far we have four pieces of luggage packed and a stack of paperwork about 5 inches high that we'll be taking overseas.  

While all of that has kept us busy the truth is, I haven't been writing because I've been scared - I've been scared that I'll say too much or that I'll say the wrong thing.  Out of respect for the child we're hoping to adopt we are limited in what we can share.  What I can say is this - we have a referral for a sweet five year old girl.    Waiting to meet this child is extraordinarily challenging.  If you've ever been 9 + months pregnant, you might know what I mean.  It's a lot like that, except that she's not snuggled up safe and warm in her mother's care.

Though waiting can be tough and some days are harder than others, I trust in the Lord's perfect timing.  He is sovereign and He's at work in the wait.  He's preparing our hearts and hers for this transition.  I've noticed this pattern -  just when it seems the waiting and wondering has worn me too thin, He sends a word of refreshment, a word of hope, a word of promise.  He has done this over and over and over again - not just throughout the adoption process, but throughout my entire life.  But these promises are not exclusively for me.  They're for all who call on the name of the Lord Jesus.  If you haven't already, would you please come and rest in the Sovereignty and Promise of the Lord.