Cheri Kay in Haiti....where my life became meaningful.

Yesterday was a hard one for me!  Not the hard that has you sad and crying or feeling beat up or anything.  But, the hard was keeping my brain focused! LOL!  My brain is a hot mess people!!!  I feel like I have so many loose ends to tie up before we leave for China in 9 days....yes, I said it, 9 days!!!!!  And my brain does not stay on one topic or project or even thought long enough to complete ANYTHING!!! LOL Insomnia is my close friend when I get like this!  I will fall asleep as soon as I get into bed, into a deep beautiful sleep....for 2 hours. Then: BOOM! Wide awake! Wide awake with a brain that runs in circles! LOL!!!! So, I blog! hahaha!  It's about 4:30 in the morning and as I sit here at my computer, I hear the wind and the rain outside. It's cold!  It's Michigan and it's the week of Halloween, of course it's going to be cold! But, I sit here and I listen to the sounds of outside and then I listen to the sounds of inside. Inside my h...

Processing adoption has been a huge focus at our house lately!  Not paper processing....emotional cognitive processing of adoption.  It is amazing! Amazingly hard, amazingly beautiful, amazingly confusing, amazingly enlightening, amazingly hurtful, amazingly joyful, amazingly bonding, amazingly tearful, amazingly exhausting and amazingly energizing.  And amazingly much more than that!!!! :) I was never one that could talk about my feelings very well.  This is not a good weakness to have when you are an adoptive parent!  It is ESSENTIAL that I talk about feelings and help my kid process through the difficult parts of their life stories.  Thank goodness for a village of other adoptive parents, social workers and counselors and even teachers who have come alongside me to help me make sure I handle this delicate subject to the best of my ability! Jaryse seems to do this quite easily, fluently, and with acceptance of the 'good' and the 'bad'.  I am pret...

OH my goodness friends!  Please excuse any grammatical errors or lack of detail in this post! It is CHUCK full of crazy exciting news and I've been shaking with excitement the last 4 days. So, China was closed for a National Holiday for about a week, about a week ago.  They re-opened last Thursday-ish (Nov. 8).  With the time change and them being almost a day ahead of us (well, 12 hours) I get confused what day it is! LOL!  Anyway, Since they opened things have been FLYING!  I kept thinking, "oh, I need to tell my friends on my blog", but before I could, another amazing thing would happen! So, here's the deal friends, long story short.......We are going to China!!!!!  Yep, in less than 4 days we received our Article 5 pickup, Travel Approval, a Visa Appointment at the Consulate and have purchased tickets!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This baby girl is coming HOME!!!! We are leaving for China on Nov. 7 and will return Nov. 19th with the newest member of o...

If you see this amazing young man today, will you please wish him a Happy Birthday!!!???? I can't believe this little man is 11. Yes, ELEVEN!!!! I am so proud of him! He is kind, compassionate, and loves everyone! He is so excited to be a big brother to his new sister! I am so proud of him! He knows that having another sister who is deaf is not going to be easy, yet, he already loves her to pieces and he cannot wait to show her the ropes!  Happy Birthday Sweet Boy! Momma loves you like crazy!!!!  Any and all donations that come in today will go towards Jaryse's name in the Tag the Bag competition!!!

I had sweet dreams of my Dahlia Jane last night! I had dreams of meeting her. I had dreams of her walking to me with her arms out towards me. I had dreams of holding her, hugging her and seeing her sweet face in person! She has no idea how much we already love her and I cannot wait to hold her in my arms and show her the love that she deserves.   On another note, God answers prayers! Haha!  That is an understatement huh!!!???  :)  So, I have been planning to travel to China by myself with both Ecrissa and Jaryse. Meaning of course, that I'd travel to China with 2 kids by myself and home with 3 (two of which are deaf!).  I have envisioned quite the trip with just me and the three kids....can you picture it! LOL!!!   Well, I am so thankful for the love and support that God provides!  He has made a way for me to have some extra hands! My friend, Amy Smith, is planning on joining me and the kids to China to bring home Dahlia!  Amy is i...

Ok friends!  So, things keep moving forward and I am so very excited!  We are looking at being about 6-8 weeks away from traveling to China to pick up our baby girl!  This is so exciting!  This post is going to tell you 2 things.  First, it's going to tell you about our fundraiser that is starting NOW as one last push to try to fund bringing our little girl home and Second, I realized that I keep calling this little girl by every title, except what her name will be!  I can't post her sweet face, but I can share what her name will be!  So, keep reading and you'll find out!!! Ok, so as promised, I am first going to ask you to please participate in this fundraiser!  The fees for the actual adoption have pretty much been saved, raised and paid!  YAY!!!  Now, we are working hard to find the funds for the travel costs!  These final costs include things like Chinese Visa's for all of us, airplane tickets, hotel and food costs, and the ve...

This girl is so ready to be a big sister!!!!  Ecrissa amazes me!  With all of her struggles and hurdles to overcome, she moves forward every day, learns more, works hard and tries her hardest to be the best Ecrissa she can be!  She is so excited right now to be a big sister to "China Baby".  Ecrissa uses sign language because she is deaf and she fully understands that "China Baby" is also deaf.  She cannot wait to teach her little sister sign language.  She is the one who gave the nickname "China Baby" because that is what she signs when talking about her baby sister! :)  She has been very involved in helping me get the things that her sister will need.  Helping to set up the crib and take care of the toys and clothes that have been given to us.  She even made sure that we found a doll that looked like "China Baby". We went through many stores both around Grand Rapids and online until we finally found one that Ecrissa was sure her sister wo...

 Scarlett's Gotcha Day! August 23, 2014  Today is one year after getting this puppy!  Scarlett Rose joined our family as our first family pet!  Boy, was there a learning curve! Poor puppy was bombarded with love, noise, hugs and kisses and cuddles.  But, she wasn't the only one who there was an adjustment for.  Jaryse had a whole list of responsibilities that he hadn't had before, I had to help with those responsibilities and deal with the potty training! I wasn't sure I could take one more inside accident when Scarlett finally decided that she was done peeing under my table! Whew! There was also the getting up and taking her outside at night and her whining when left in the crate.  This list goes on.  Now, as most of her training is complete and she has melded into our daily lives, there are still responsibilities and finding puppy sitters when we leave and such, but on the whole, she has been such a blessing to us!  She is funny. She...

So, this post isn't a warm fuzzy........just a warning!  But, it's very important! Before moving to Haiti and after finding out that Ecrissa is deaf, I decided to learn all I could about deafness, deaf culture, sign language etc. before getting her.  As she's grown, I've continued to try my best to understand who she is, her culture, her language and what it means to be deaf.  I have and I continue to go to conferences, activities and events to expose our family to and to try to enter into the deaf culture and community.  A major theme that I noticed early on when listening to deaf adults is how lonely they feel, even in a room full of people. This was heart breaking to me.  I made a decision, which I have stuck to, that I will be able to communicate with my daughter with ASL.  Do you know that statistics have shown for decades, over and over again, that only 1 in every 10 hearing parents who have a deaf child knows how to sign? YES....that is correct, on...

So, remember that first adoption, you know, that one that took 4.5 years? The one where I begged and pleaded with God to make it happen faster? To make it happen on my timeline?  Yea, me too! LOL! I remember it well! What I learned during that time was that God really did have everything under control and we all came home from Haiti at a perfect time. So, how about this time around.  Um, well, again, it's God's timing!  Things are going much quicker than I had prepared myself for.  I mean, it's an adoption right!? It takes a long time right?! I've got time right?!  Hahahaha!  I love how God keeps me guessing!  This time has been so far way quicker and easier than I had expected!  Yes, we got our Letter of Acceptance EARLY! EARLY????? Nothing happens early in an adoption process!!!! I am so grateful for the lessons that God teaches me! I am so excited to bring this baby girl home!  I am so excited to be her momma!  I am so exc...

And a busy and fun month it's been!  The kids have been involved in so many fun activities I can hardly keep up! Jaryse did a Worship Arts camp, then our whole family went to a Family Deaf Camp, then the kids went to Spring Hill Day camp and this week Jaryse will get to do a Vacation Bible School! We have also been blessed to be able to go to Grand Haven a few times for Worship on the Waterfront and have seen some amazing acts including Josh Wilson, MikesChair and Mark Schultz! This is all while continuing with Ecrissa's already weekly scheduled therapies!  Wow!!!! We are so blessed!!!! The adoption process is so far going as good as can be expected!  We are so excited to bring our little girl home and include her in all of the fun activities!!!!  I have been told that for this particular "leg" of the process, the waiting period is about 60-90 days.  We are at about day 36!  I just heard about a family who waited 2.5 months and they had a paperwork glit...

Friends, God answers prayers!!!!!!  And, when He answers them, He answers in a BIG way!!!! This morning, before I even got out of bed, I prayed.  I asked God to please give me news about our baby.  To please have her papers ready to be matched with mine. That the office that processes her file, will release it to be officially matched with an adoptive family. YOU GUYS! That happened!  And, not only did THAT happen, our file was pre-approved and her file is now LOCKED with ours!!!!!!!! I am officially on my way to being a momma to a beautiful little girl from China!  I so wish I could share her amazing little face, but I have signed a privacy agreement.  I can't wait to share her with the world.  But, for now, just trust me!  She is preciously made in the image of our Lord and she is perfect! She will be 17 months old this week and is profoundly deaf!  We are so excited to give her an amazing big sister who is deaf and an awesome bi...

So, I returned to work today after a 2 week break!  You would have thought that having 2 weeks off I would have updated the blog! hahaha!  Sorry!!!!!  I took some time to myself, met with some friends a few of the days to catch up, completed a few projects around the house and enjoyed some of my favorite TV show...Law and Order!!!  I also got to enjoy my kids!  Jaryse finished up his track season and I am so proud of that little guy!  He also graduated from 4th grade!  I can't believe that he is going to middle school next year!!! WO! I got to hang out with the kids and not worry about keeping up with everything!  I LOVED IT!  I am forever thankful for the amazing job that I have, that not only allows me to provide for my sweeties, but it also allows time to be with them as they are growing! GREAT NEWS!  My papers for the adoption are headed to China as we speak!  This brings us one step (and a HUGE one step) closer to ...

WAITING!  We are still playing it!  I think that an adoption should actually be called something more along the lines of "growing and stretching your patience until the child you can't wait to hold comes home!" Haha!!!  I promised myself at the beginning of this process that I'd do better waiting.  Man!  Waiting is so hard!  I want so badly to see the face of the little girl that is going to officially become mine! Now, it's not that I haven't seen pictures of kids that need a family.  I have seen lots, even a couple of little girls who are deaf, but I need papers to be at a certain place in the process before that official match!  I, just so badly want to know who she is! I want to know more about her!  I want to go get her, bring her here and let her become a part of this crazy little place we call home!  But....we are still waiting for a document for me before I can move forward onto the next step.  I have been told that it takes...

Whoa!  It's been a while!  I didn't realize how long it's been since I have updated this page!  Oops sorry!  But, we have been busy! We have celebrated Ecrissa turning 12 years old!  I cannot believe the itty bitty little girl that I met almost 10 years ago is now 12!!!  I am so proud of her!  She has (and continues to) overcome so many obstacles and I see her growing and maturing every day!  What a blessing she is to me! Jaryse has started track and participated in his first track meet last weekend!  I just love watching that little man! He is so fun!   I have been working like crazy as my schedule is very full, but I am so blessed to have a job that I love!  I am also waiting.  We just had a sermon last weekend about how it's hard to remember that God is with us when we are waiting.  It is easy to feel like He has forgotten about us, or has left us, or maybe doesn't care and so we are left waiting until He...

Well, I am glad that week is over!  The first week back from a long break is always rough!  We made it through though!   I have really been dreading writing this update.  God is performing miracles.  I am 100% sure of it.  Just not the miracle I was praying for.  It seems that we are now waiting again. I don't have solid answers one way or the other, and THAT is HARD!  But, I know that a miracle will happen.  Do you know how I know?  Because building a family through adoption is a series of miracles!  It has to be!  With all of the hoops that have to be jumped through and with all of the things that can go wrong there has to be about a million miracles for an adoption to become complete!  You know how else I know?  Because God already proved this to me by bringing my 2 Haitian Angels home!  If that adoption wasn't a miracle....NOTHING is!  LOL!!!!  I know He has a plan to bring the perfect ch...

Well, these 2 weeks have flown by!  I am wrapping up a 2 week spring break.  The first week was off with the kids during their spring break and the second week the kids were back to school and I had some time to catch up and relax by myself.  I have really enjoyed it and was able to not only relax, but also catch up on a few small projects around the house!   This 2 week break comes to an end and not without some news that has put a bit of a damper on the wonderful break that we had. I love adoption.  I get goosebumps every time I tell our story and every time I hear another family's adoption story.  My personal experience with adoption taught me and revealed to me God's true love for me.  I had no idea prior to becoming a mother the depth of God's love for me.  Adoption has taught me so much.  Adoption is complicated. PERIOD. From start to finish, and throughout the lifetime of the families affected (birth and adopted sides). ...

This picture of our goofy pup shows how I pretty much how felt Saturday after the Final Four game.  So sad that my Spartans didn't pull off a win, but I am super proud of that team and always proud to be a Spartan!  That team was written out of the NCAA tournament earlier in the season then they were expected to lose early in the tournament and they fought and never gave up and made the FINAL FOUR!  That is what I love!  I loved watching them pull together and make it to the Final Four!  Next year!  I just love my Spartans!!!!! So, my friend Megan was absolutely right!  I do not have time to keep this blog up to date! LOL!!!! Well, hang in there with me friends and I'll do the best that I can!  Last week was crazy busy at work, at home with the kids and trying to keep things moving with the adoption and planning for the holiday weekend.  Needless to say, it did not turn out to be a perfect week and I'll spare all of the details, but God ...

Today was one of those days.  When going through an adoption there are so many emotions.  Sometimes, many emotions in one day!  The day started with such amazing friends and family support.  I am so very grateful for this.  I had tears of joy due to the amazing love and support that I have found in all of my friends and family.  If it weren't for that, well, I'd be a puddle of a mess right now. Remember I told you that I needed to trust.  Well, we are in a test right now!  I just got an email and subsequent phone conversations that it appears that something has happened to an ENTIRE package of documents needed to process the adoption.  I don't know what happened to it.  No worries, it can all be re-done, fixed, etc, but 2 weeks have been wasted.  Everyone was waiting on everyone and now, the package seems to be missing. Right now, I am grieving those 2 weeks. I am trying not to focus on how we just lost 2 weeks with our baby that ...

Busy Week with no new updates on the adoption.  Of course, I don't expect updates every week.  It's a paper wait!  I get that.  I have been through this once before.  I have submitted everything required of me and now it's waiting on paperwork.  And so, we hope and pray that things are moving and until then....we'll hug our little one through prayers! And to make it a little easier.....we'll enjoy the Spartans in the NCAA tournament!  GO STATE!!!!!! http://www.gofundme.com/fromhaititochina https://justlovecoffee.com/about/beneficiary/spartansforhaiti/

Good Morning!  It's my FAVORITE day of the year!!!  Today is March 12!  Why is that day so important?  Well, 6 years ago today, I boarded a plane and brought my two Haitian Angels to the U.S.A!  This was a day that I had DREAMED about for 4.5 years.  I had sorta begun to think that it was never going to happen.  I had sorta given up, but you know what.....God never gives up!  That is why this day means so much to me.  I remember the feeling of walking into the airport with my babies and all of our luggage and our PILE of paperwork.  I remember how perfectly well behaved they were.  I remember feeling sad.  Sad to be leaving the country that had become my home for 3 years.  Sad to leave the friends that had become my family.  Sad to leave the culture that I had come to love.  Sad to leave the food, the heat, the smells of home. I was embarking on a whole new journey of parenthood.  I was scared that...

Thank you EVERYONE for all of your wonderful ideas for fundraising!  I am so thankful for all of your input!  I am lucky to have such wonderful friends and supports! I did make a decision to start a GoFundMe Campaign.  I had many trustworthy friends tell me to try it, so I made the leap! Here is the link to our page! http://www.gofundme.com/fromhaititochina Please feel free to share with everyone you know!  I am hoping to give a bit of an update next week on where things are in the process. Here is a bit of the story as it stands with this current adoption.  I have known even before bringing Ecrissa and Jaryse home that our little family was not finished.  My kids are so amazing and they fulfill me in ways that I never knew parenting would!  I just knew that they had more siblings.  I didn't know who, what, when, where and for goodness sakes even WHY!  LOL! So, I have been trying to keep my mind open about when to adopt again.  ...

One of the many lessons I learned through my first adoption process is to TRUST GOD!  Wow, that one is a tough one!!!!  I have to trust on so many levels.   Trust that He is calling me to do this crazy thing called adoption Trust that I am even near good enough to parent these precious kids Trust that HIS timing is best Trust that He will provide Trust.... Trust.... Trust..... This time around I feel that I am doing better!  I have so much more peace with all of my decisions.  When I do start to feel anxious, I am quicker to stop and talk to Him, rather than frantically try to 'fix' the situation that is making me anxious.   I mean, He made this crazy crew a family and if He wants to add to it, I'm pretty sure He knows how to do that too!!!! Finances are a source of anxiety for me on a daily basis!  I work hard to provide as much as I can for the kids.  There are things that we don't have, but that is ok.  It...

I wonder about the blog Title.  I am not sure what to do.  So, I started this blog originally to be able to share with friends and family how things were going with us while we were in Haiti.  I lived in Haiti for 3 years while waiting for the adoption of Jaryse and Ecrissa to complete.  Wow!  There were some intense life lessons during those three years.  Those days were the hardest, most fulfilling, happiest, most dreadful, most amazing, worst and best days of my life!  Once we made it to the States, I continued to blog about adjusting to life in the USA and to keep my friends (who became my family) in Haiti up to date with how we were doing.  Then, after a while, I felt that Facebook was really doing the job and I didn't necessarily need to do the blog and Facebook as I was saying the same things on both.  Well, there are about to be some changes in our lives and I think I'm ready to blog about it!  I am sure that this will be another...