Mini Vans

Ok all you mini van drivers out there: we need advice, opinions and words of wisdom. We currently own a Subaru Forester. We love our car and also know there is no way around the mini van with four kids all in car seats. We bought our car in May of '05 intending to drive it for 7-10 years. We get good gas millage, free oil changes and love the 4 wheel drive. Our Subaru has 71,000 miles, new breaks and newish tires.
I know nothing about mini vans. Can you drive them 200,000-300,000 miles like the Subaru? With 4 car seats is it important to have bucket seats in the middle, or can you crawl around that short bench? Do vans have 4 wheel drive? Are all vans crated equal or do some rise to the top? Do they come with that little soccer ball decal or do you get that later? What do you think?

November 22 update

'Wiguerson's file is out of IBESR and Parquet. His adoption decree is in preparation.'

I thought this was such an encouraging way to say that we are in Second Legalization. It sounds like everything is progressing and on schedule. Really, Haiti is on holiday until January 7, and nothing is happening at all. But it still sounds encouraging and these cute little pictures help too.

Happy New Year!

Anna Playing School

Anna is fascinated with school. She asks what the kids are doing there all day and talks about it with her friends. My mom is a teacher and Joel and I are both former teachers. She spent much of her life on the college campus with us and loves Sunday school, so she has been to lots of schools and thinks they are great. Yesterday she wanted to build a school out of blocks with a BIG lunch room and a real slide and swing. Then she brought the kids to school on the bus, took them to lunch and recess in a line, each took their turns on the slide and went back inside to their desks. The teacher stood on a little platform and preached to the kids. (She also thinks the professors at our University "preach" to the students.) Then it was picture day and each kid got an individual and group picture with a real camera, then home on the bus. She had blast.

-22 degrees

I never thought there could be a day when I was glad we were not bringing our kids home now, but today is that day. I was born and raised in Montana. I have lived on the Eastern side of the state for a long time. I have had lots of below 0 days in my life and I am cold! I am wearing P.J's under my sweats and 2 sweat shirts and I think it is cold. I can not tell you how badly I would feel if little Abby and Emery had to come from the tropical winter temperature of 89 degrees to our "cold spell". I do not think today would be a good day to come home. However, the weather will change in a week or so and that would be perfect. I guess for now we will just wait to get out of second legal and be very thankful that they are warm today. (I do however think an extended stay in Florida to wait out the cold would be a good option if we could be together. But alas, ...)

Potty Press News

So the first day started with no one getting enough sleep and lots of crabbiness (mommy too). After a long morning nap with a diaper, we were much more successful in the afternoon. By Thursday afternoon we ventured out and had success with dry pants and pottying in a public rest room. I know some of you are grossed out by public rest rooms, but Anna's necessity has cured us of that. We just wash well and do the best we can. I would not say she is a pro yet, but we had an all morning outing including a 45 minute nap in the car and lots of fun to be had and dry all the way.

Beth's Big Day

Tomorrow is the big day for potty training for Beth. She is 22 months and 2 days. She has a new package of 6 pairs of panties like her sisters, a box of Bunny Grahams, a borrowed "potty bear",' enough watered down juice to make a grown adult frequent the bathroom and a ring for the toilet so she wont fall in. I am armed with "Potty Training in Day", a chair for the bathroom, a stack of magazines i do not care if I read and the knowege that by 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. I will not care if she is still wearing diapers to Kindergarten. I have done this once before and remember thininking that I hate the bathroom and even soft carpent and toddler music does not make it fun. I also remember that no matter how long the day was, it was better than changing diapers for ever and that little tiny panties are cute and that girls love to wear them. So with this in mind, and plenty of diet Coke in the refrigerator, I am ready for the challenge ahead. I will let you know tomorrow how it all turns out. :}

Papers on the Move

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!!!

I know so many of you are praying with us for God's speed in our adoption process. Thank you. We have indeed been blessed again with a very short stay in Parquet (court). We are on our way to Second Legalization were the adoption documents will be signed. We know that this process is unpredictable, but we trust the Lord with each step and know that he already knows how it will go and loves our kids more than we ever could. So today we celebrate another step closer and ask you to continue praying with us for the paper work, the kids, and the people of Haiti.

We are really looking forward to MOI when we can begin to talk to Anna and Beth about it, but for now: shh.

When I Grow Up

When I grow up I want to be just like Phyllis Fischer. She was the daughter and niece of the two "little old ladies" in our church when I was growing up. They lived with her and she cared for them. Of course as a kid I thought they were all "old", but sweet as pie. I saw Phyllis the other week and she looks awesome! She will soon be 80 years old and is just the same now as she was 20 years ago. She was, until this week, still the full time care giver of her just turned 106 year old mother. I want to be 80 and be caring for others. I want to be 80 and look this good. I want to be 80 and be this kind and loving. I want to be 80 and have this kind of smile that comes from deep within: to have weathered the trials of life and survived the heart aches only to proclaim that God is faithful and good. I want to be like Phyllis Fischer when I grow up!

We are Home!

Our experience in Haiti was great! The kids are all so healthy and Happy. It was plenty hot during the day but cooled off at night. We were able to file our paper at the embassy quickly and got to see the transition house where the kids go first before entering the orphanage. We asked Gina all the questions we could think of and got to see much of Port a Prince.

We had so many answered prayers and miracles that I can not tell you on this blog, but email and I will give you all the details. Ronese does not like her picture taken and did not really want her routine interrupted. She is very little, but healthy and strong. Wiguerson is a wonderful, gentle and caring big brother. He has the greatest smile (unless there is no one behind the camera... as in the first picture). He knows the names of all the animals and liked to read books with us. He talked a lot and loved to show every thing to his friends. He wanted to be with Joel every second and loved just being with him.

There is something unexplainable about spending 3 days with your children and then telling them you have to leave and will come again "someday". Kind of like Jesus in John 14.