The Schweig Family Scrapbook

When one thing ends, another begins...

2012-01-15T10:57:00.000-08:00

Well.......where do I start???

It's been a crazy ride the past 6-9 months....Let me try and condense it...

Most of you who know us know that our family was deeply involved in a church named Parkway since about 2005. It was our home, our family, pretty much most of our life.

We attended on the weekends, served in different ministries every weekend, led a small group weekly, were involved in many different service projects, mission trips, etc etc etc....99% of our friends were from Parkway. We were challenged, loved, included, and supported there. We've been through a LOT since moving to AZ and most of it, our Parkway family went through with us...

I have SO many memories from that place...bringing Mia home from Vietnam and bringing her to PCC to meet everyone...putting her in child care and worrying so much because she screamed and cried for 10 minutes every time, but the patient and special ladies in there held her, loved her and calmed her down and allowed me to stay in the service.

I remember being a part of "Perkway", which included setting up the auditorium in a coffee house type style and serving cookies and coffee to the guests. I joined a team called "Forward Drive" and took 2 trips to CA to observe another church and the way they did things. I was involved in a "garage sale", a silent auction, backpack/school supply drive. We "adopted" needy families at Xmas time and I helped organize the distribution of the gifts. We "adopted" the teachers, staff and students at a low income school in El Mirage and held teacher appreciation breakfasts, helped at their spring fair, helped in the classrooms, obtained a wheelchair for a child whose parents couldn't afford one, helped in the library and more.

I loved the "hospitality" team and served with my small group girls. We would come, once a month and prepare and serve food and drinks to the people attending the "Loop" classes.

There were barbeques, girls nights, womens breakfasts, retreats, bible studies, classes....(ok,I'm about to cry now...)

There is so much more and I don't write all these things to brag, but to remember and have a record of what we've been involved with and honor the church and all it stood for.

Helayna grew up at Parkway...she was 10 when she started attending the youth ministry and met so many Godly women who loved her and still play a huge role in her life. I truly believe that it takes a whole town to raise children and Parkway is our town. I feel like Helayna has at least 5 women who truly love her and have looked out for her and been an influence on her and her faith. They have been like 2nd moms and I can't even express my gratitude to them. They have helped me do the hardest job of raising a teenager and I feel like God put them in our lives for that reason.

Helayna went to Haiti and I feel that it changed the trajectory of her life. I cannot wait to see what God has in store for her and I feel like this church has helped form her into the beautiful woman she is becoming today.

Eric was involved in a mens accountability group and led our small group for years. They are still some of our best friends and we have so many amazing memories.

Eric led missions to Haiti and fell in love with the country and the people there. He's met with many different leaders and talked to different people about missions and he will never be the same.

When the earthquake happened in Haiti, our whole church prayed together and raised money to help.

When we brought Sebastian home 2 years early and had NOTHING that we needed, Parkway pulled together and within 2 days, we had everything we needed and more....our doorbell rang almost every hour and people we didn't even know would leave things on our porch like diapers, wipes, clothing, toys and so much more. We didn't have to buy diapers for a year! I have never felt so much love and support and I remember sitting in a service while Trent spoke about us bringing Seb home, and I just started to weep...in appreciation and love for my church family. I just couldn't believe how a group of people could ban together like that and support our family.

I truly have never felt love like that before. When we brought him home and to church, everyone embraced him with open arms (literally). He was like a little star! Everyone knew his story and how he came home because of the earthquake and instantly loved him. (how could you not? with that smile...) I still see people out and about who say "hi sebastian!" and I don't even know them!

Parkway was, and is unique and there will NEVER be anything like it again. God blessed that place and created a family whose ties can never be broken. Something about it was just different...and we all knew it. We all felt it, appreciated it and will always treasure it. It's so hard to explain such a deep emotion, but those of you who were a part of it know what I mean.

So.....when we "merged" with another church at the beginning of 2011, all I can say is it wasn't the same anymore. Intentions were good, hearts were in the right place, but something just didn't work. People were hurt, upset, confused and lost. (including me) I don't want to rehash the whole thing, but let's suffice it to say Parkway was fading....and we couldn't bring it back. I'm still not sure what God was thinking, but some things we just don't need to know, I guess. Some things we just aren't meant to understand.

We tried for months to feel a connection and keep attending, but it just didn't work. We tried to keep serving (me in the cafe, Eric in youth) but after a while, I couldn't do it anymore.

We visited other churches, but nothing stuck. I was lost...not sure who to talk to about it, not sure what to do or where to go.

I truly felt like I lost everything...I know that sounds dramatic. But when something is such a huge part of your life and you lose it without having any say, it's devastating. I felt like I lost my family, my pastor, my small group, the ministry I served in, and a lot of my friends. We all scattered...and I'm not sure why, but a lot of us didn't talk about it or confide in each other. It was almost taboo to talk about where we were going or what we were thinking or feeling. I still don't understand this, but I think we were just so lost and confused,and we didn't want to hurt feelings, so we just kept it to ourselves. We tried to be positive but it sure was hard. It caused tension in our family too and that was hard. It was a confusing and difficult time. I cried a lot, prayed a lot and spent time trying to understand what this was....

I felt drawn to a church about 20 min away, Eric didn't. He felt drawn to stay at CCV in the youth ministry...I didn't. We agreed to disagree and tried to respect each others feelings and figured eventually it would work out. But inside, I was devastated. I wanted to be a part of something, I wanted my "family" back, I didn't want to be stagnant, as I was feeling...I prayed and prayed and prayed...God seemed to be saying "wait"...which I am NOT good at!

We went from a family who, without a question, attended church every single weekend unless physically impossible...to a family who was starting to make excuses and found other things that were more important to attend. I was so confused...this wasn't US. I didn't like what this was doing to us but I didn't know how to get out of it.

We seemed to be in this holding pattern...and one day in late November, Eric received a call from our former childrens pastor at Parkway, saying that he was "thinking" of starting a new church. We were on our way to lunch, so Eric told him he'd call him back. But, from the first second I heard about this possibility, I was giddy with excitement and I prodded Eric during our entire lunch to call him back and find out details! I could not WAIT to hear more...

They played phone tag a couple times and I was dying to know more.....seriously, I am NOT patient!!!

Eventually, he told him he didn't have many details, but we were invited to their house for an informational meeting the first Sunday in December. I could NOT WAIT!!!!! It was the first time in months, I felt positive about something.(don't get me wrong, I didn't walk around depressed, negative about the world...it was just this church thing....)

Soooo.....we met with about 20 other people (all from Parkway) and it was just so exciting! It felt positive...there was no church-bashing, no negativity just a bunch of people who felt the same way we did...lost and without a church home. We all wanted to create the same type of family feeling and we all wanted to serve people and none of us were currently doing that for one reason or another. From that first meeting, I just KNEW this was going to be big.

Eric and I hardly even had to discuss it...we both felt the same and knew we wanted to be a part of this from the start.

We have met every Sunday since then (except the week after Christmas) and every time, more people come and it just gets more and more exciting....

We have decided to be a part of the "core" group of 35 who helps to start this church....so WE ARE STARTING A CHURCH!!!!!!!!! And we couldn't be more excited, more thrilled, more happy about what God is going to do...

We met for the first time this past Saturday at the location where we will meet officially and my wheels started to turn the second we walked in...

I will be part of the "first impressions" team and also be involved with small groups and the womens ministry. Eric will be on the youth leadership team and he can't wait to start having input on how this ministry will work. He is working with one of our best friends and I think they'll be a great team!

We are SO excited and now, I can see God's perfect timing in all of this. Even if I still don't understand why Parkway had to be "sacrificed", I am starting to see good in all of this and starting to feel like myself again.

I am constantly reminded that God knows best, knows all and is always good. He has been there with us the whole way, even if I checked out for a bit myself...which I'm not proud of. Luckily, He is patient and forgiving and loves us unconditionally. I would've been frustrated and upset with me if I were Him...because at times, I have to admit, I questioned Him and wondered why??? But, I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel now and I feel stronger for having gone through that tunnel. And I feel like our core group has this bond now, after going through a trial together which wouldn't have happened otherwise. I am getting to know people I didn't know well before and they are becoming my family. And the ones I did know well...we are becoming closer.

We started planning last night with our different teams and there is SO much to be done and I have to admit, it was overwhelming...but I am up for the challenge and excited to get started! Our first official service will most likely be on Sat Feb 25th at 4pm.

I can't wait to get going with this church!!!!!! I can't wait to see what God has planned! I can't wait!!!!!!!

So, that's my story and I'm sticking to it.....

If you are interested in "just church" (the official name), go to: http://www.just-church.com/

Thanks for being patient while I shared my heart....and thanks for being a part of our life:)

Lots of love,

Michele

2011-09-20T23:57:00.000-07:00

Is it Fall Yet?

2011-09-20T23:32:00.001-07:00

Wow! I can't believe it's been 6 months since I last wrote. I don't know how time is going by SO fast, it's quite scary to be honest...
Although, I guess the summer is pretty busy so I don't really think about blogging. I'm thinking about swimming and having my kids home with me. Speaking of summer, we didn't do much this year. It's SOOO hot here in AZ that all I think about is getting away to cooler weather and we really didn't accomplish that. We pretty much lived in the pool! We swam almost every day or found something to do inside.
Mia is a little fish! She loves to jump in, and constantly swims underwater. She doesn't like to swim above the water, it's so funny! I thought maybe we'd have her join the swim team this year, but we didnt' end up doing it so maybe next year?
Sebastian loves the water and has no fear, which is a little scary...we definitely need to get him in Miss Paige's swim class next summer...I thought he'd be too young this year, but I think he could've done well.
Helayna enjoys sunbathing most, but definitely had her share of playing in the pool.
This school year, Helayna is a sophomore in high school (eek!), Mia is in 2nd grade (I cannot believe that!) and Seb is at home with me. He'll probably start preschool next fall. He loves playing with other kids and is very social, so I think he'll do well.
Mia got the same teacher for 2nd grade that she had for kindergarten, which was a true blessing. Her teacher is the sweetest woman and always smiling. She's so patient with the kids and I was so happy to hear she got her again. Last year was tough for Mia,so I'm hoping having this teacher will help her to have better year.
Mia started piano lessons over the summer and is doing SO well. Her teacher says she is her little protege. She picks it up really fast and seems to be enjoying it. They will have a little recital next year, so I'm looking forward to that. It makes me so happy to see her learning piano. I always wished I had, so she's living out my dream...haha!
She also started playing soccer a couple weeks ago. This is something she asked to do. It's so cute to see her running around...she's not too bad, actually! I think it'll be good for her to be part of a team. I can't wait til her first game...
Helayna is still in the medical program at school and taking Sports Medicine this year. She is learning so much and really loves it. She comes home and shows us what she learned. Some things have been different massage techniques, how to stop bleeding and pressure points.She has to shadow someone in the medical profession for a certain amount of hours for credit and yesterday she "interned" at our chiropractors office. It was so cute dropping her off and seeing her type on a "real" typewriter, which she had never even seen before! She stayed for about 4 hours and did office work, learned how to use some of the machines they use, watched people getting adjustments and listened when patients were shown their xrays, etc. (among other things, I'm sure) She really enjoyed it and will go back next week for a few more hours. I'm so proud of her and can really see her working in an office like that in the near future. She seems to love the medical profession and I love to see her enjoying learning. Have I mentioned that I'm proud of her? She joined a club at school called HOSA which "is a student organization whose mission is to promote career opportunities in health care and to enhance the delivery of quality health care to all people." They've had a couple meetings so far and they will be involved in competitions and other events this school year.
Helayna's also been volunteering at church in the childrens area. First she helped out with 1-2nd grade and now she's doing kindergarten. Mia loved having her in her class. She was even her teacher a few times! I think Mia liked telling people Helayna was her big sister! So cute...
That's all I really think of right now...it's late(as usual, when I write)...
Just thought I should update a little bit...
Thanks for reading...

Fun Facts

2011-03-08T22:36:00.000-08:00

So, I realized it's been a while since I've written on the blog, but it's quite late so I'm just gonna think of a few fun facts about our kids just to get me going....hopefully another day this week, I'll have time to write more...so, here goes:

SEBASTIAN:

*the most active little boy I've ever seen...he runs around (never walks) all day and all night,trying to find something to get into...or touch....or eat....
*is starting to talk a lot...his fave word is "no" while shaking his head
*is getting shy around other people.When someone talks to him, he turns his head as if he doesn't hear them...
*he is starting to cry when one of us leaves, which shows more attachment.
*is getting BIG...he's almost 2 and wearing 2t and went up a size in shoes.
*is starting to be picky about food,where he used to eat ANYTHING...now, he has a new thing where, if he doesn't like something, he'll hold it in his mouth instead of not eating it or spitting it out...gross!!!!
*he calls Mia "Dia", and Helayna "Na Na"...so cute!

MIA:

*talks about school, NON STOP....her friends, her teachers, what she had for lunch, what days she has speech, PE, music, library, etc...
*has a CRAZY memory for details...dates, times, schedules, etc...when we forget something, we ask her and she usually knows. She knows what we are doing on what day and what time and if we don't follow through, she has to know why....
*will ask what time it is, like 5 times a day...I GOTTA teach that girl to tell time.
*has a new found love for Justin Bieber, after I took her to see his movie. Like mother, like daughter...heehee...
*gets SO excited for the small things...staying home or going anywhere with just me, watching a movie, going to the park, her $5 allowance and the ability to spend it on whatever she wants, and of course, when she has playdates with her friends...being 7 is so fun!

HELAYNA:

*is an A and B student and we are SO proud of her...she works so hard and is dedicated to her schoolwork.
*loves hanging out with us and our friends and that makes me so happy...we even fight about who was friends with them first, us or her! (oh, and also about who is closer to their age, since most of our friends are younger than us...)
*is such a huge help to me and I don't know what I'd do without her.
*loves Haiti so much, that it warms my heart...she made Eric promise to take her next time he goes...
*is just as beautiful inside as she is on the outside...
*has major talent in styling her hair and I'm jealous!
*loves photography (like me!) but is better than me at it already..she is going to do some photograpy for Leve Project and she is so excited!
*was so sad when her bff Kendall moved to TX in January that she cried harder than I've ever seen her cry.
*thinks she may want to be a nurse and is already looking into ways to pursue that.
*is much more mature than her 15 years and I love that about her.

That's it for now...although I could probably think of so much more....But there's a little glimpse into our kids...They sure make our life exciting, fun, crazy and wonderful every day...

Here are some recent pics:

Fall 2010

2010-11-08T16:04:00.000-08:00

Helayna had her first homecoming dance last month...her and her BFF went together.

Fall 2010

2010-11-08T11:05:00.000-08:00

Late Summer, Fall 2010

2010-11-08T08:38:00.000-08:00

I can't believe how much time goes by sometimes in between posts for me...A friend reminded me I haven't updated in a while,so here goes....

Let's see....what's new since June?

Well, it's not like we're living on the face of the sun anymore, thank goodness. Summer in Arizona seems to last FOREVER!!!! It feels like it's NEVER going to cool down and pretty much every year, I start wondering why the heck I chose to move here!!!! But then, fall comes and with that, beautiful temperatures and I remember what I love about Arizona....while everyone in the midwest is freezing, we are enjoying the sun and beautiful 60's-80's....so, I think we'll stay a while longer...
We spent July 4th with friends and watched fireworks in their driveway, which was nice. They also lit off their own fireworks which I thought might kill us, but we ended up surviving after all....this was Sebastian's first 4th of July and he wasn't affected at ALL by the loud noise or lights...not really surprising, since he's not affected by much at all. He is one of the most easy going kids I've ever met.
He pretty much likes everyone, we can take him anywhere and as long as we bring cheerios, he's fine. He gets a little grumpy when we take his food away, but other than that, he is a happy little guy.

I took him for his 18 month checkup last month and he's gained 3 lbs and grown 3 inches since he came home in January. He's in the 50th percentile for height and 25th for weight, so he's right on track.

He eats and sleeps well, is running, jumping, trying to talk, and into EVERYTHING...he definitely keeps me busy! His favorite words are: please, shoes, shoot (thanks to me!), car,Sid (from Sid the Science Kid tv show), outside (he says "side!"), Daddy, Momma, Dia for "Mia", Bon Nwe (which means goodnight in Creole), cake,cookie,cereal, and of course, NO! He has learned sign language for "eat, drink, please, more and cookie". Sometimes, he does them all if we aren't giving him what he wants. It's pretty funny.

He's definitely starting to have some separation anxiety...when I leave the house, he usually cries and if Helayna comes with me, he cries even more.
Me and the girls took a weekend trip to Flagstaff last month with a friend and Eric stayed home with Sebastian. I think it bonded them a little more. I noticed he was saying "Daddy" a lot more and when he hears the door open, he screams for him. It's so cute.

We have Sebastian's adoption court date on Nov 24, and our adoption might be finalized then. Although we don't have a paper with consent from his natural parents, so it may be a little more difficult, but we're hoping not. Since the earthquake, a lot of paperwork has been lost and what's not lost is at the Embassy. So, difficult to get a hold of. We'll see what happens. We aren't worried.

Eric hasn't been back to Haiti since June, but Leve Project is going strong. We have partnered with an organization called Fonkoze, which handles microloans so we don't have to. They've been around a long time, so this is a great partnership. We can now concentrate on finding the women in need, developing a relationship with them, helping them with childcare, sharing meals, doing bible study and more. Fonkoze will handle the financial aspect of the program, which will hopefully, get them back on their feet. This is very exciting and we're hoping to get over there right at the beginning of 2011 to find housing, since the first house fell through.
We've had some wonderful volunteers step up to help, support and set up meetings with churches and we are so grateful for this. We still need TONS of help, though...if you are interested in helping in any way, plesae check out our website or contact one of us:
www.leveproject.org

Our church opened up it's new building a few months ago and it's been a crazy ride...it's so much bigger than the original, so at first, it seemed strange to us. Just didn't feel like Parkway....we had some issues with sound, finances, attendance, and just all out bad stuff happening to many members. It just didn't feel right. But, we all hung in there and things have come around. Changes have been made, we've all rededicated ourselves to God and serving Him and I think we have a new focus. We've been led by a wonderful pastor who has a vision that he is willing to adjust if needed, and continues to challenge and inspire us by his openness and being "real". I feel honored to be a part of this place and hope that our family can contribute to what's going on there.

We had "Trunk or Treat" on Halloween and it was CRAZY! Our small group decorated our car with a giant spider and passed out candy to the thousands (yes, thousands!!) of people that came through. We had games, food and lots and lots of candy! It was packed full!!!! And so much fun....
We also took the kids trick or treating on actual Halloween night and since it was Sebastian's first Halloween, we were excited to see how he reacted. He loved it! We gave him a bag and walked with him up to the door. He was a little confused why the man put candy in his bag and he just sat there, holding it open....Then, he started to walk into the house! He thought we were going in! So funny...he got the hang of it after a few houses and got lots of candy. Mia ran ahead with her little friends and had so much fun! Helayna walked around her best friend's neighborhood, which I still haven't gotten used to, even though she's almost 15!

I still can't believe I have a high schooler! Helayna will turn 15 in December and has turned into a wonderful young woman...I know that sounds cheesy but it's true. I am so proud of the person she's becoming and pray that she continues down the road she's on. She's doing so well in school, helps me so much with the little kids, and has been hanging out with us and our friends a lot lately. She really just doesn't like the "drama" that usually accompanies teenagers, so she says she has more fun with us. Which is fine with me....I enjoy her company and I think my friends do too. Of course, she still has typical teenage moments, but they are few and far between. She really really wants to go back to Haiti with Eric and I respect her so much for that. She has fallen in love with it and the people and her dedication amazes me. She really wants to become a nurse and go back to help the people there. I can't wait to see where God leads her.

Mia is my little firecracker....little body with big attitude! She is doing well in first grade, although we had a rocky start and I even thought of homeschooling her. But, she's come around and things are going well. She loves math, writing and reading. She is reading so well now, and I love to see that! She spends most of her time at her little desk in the family room, writing and drawing. She hardly plays with toys. Her 7th birthday is coming up in one week and I cannot believe it! We are having her party at a place called Kidding Around Playtown, which should be fun for the kids.

We did take a trip to San Diego (Coronade Island) and it was a blast! We absolutely loved it and want to go back. It was so fun driving across the bridge every day and our hotel was incredible...feet from the water! We had a day at Sea World and also at the beach. The beach was, by far, everyone's favorite. Just beautiful...

We ended up getting rid of the stray dog we had for a couple months. She was so sweet but we learned she was dog-aggressive and I didn't want to take a chance with our other dog or my kids. So, it was sad and hard, but we had the humane society come pick her up. Hopefully, they found her a better home. So now we're a one dog home and I'm loving it! So much easier and Logan is so much happier....

Alright, well, as I type, Sebastian is having a fit because I told him to not stand on the couch, so I better go....He is SUCH a boy!!! And I truly thought I'd never say that...I've learned it's SO true!

I will add some pictures below....enjoy!

Michele :D

Beginning of Summer

2010-06-02T10:21:00.000-07:00

Hello all,
Well, it's officially "summer break".Both kids are done with school for the year and it's freaking me out that Helayna is going to be a freshman in the fall!!! Crazy, since I was just in high school myself...HOW does that happen, seriously????
Mia will be in 1st grade in the fall and acts like she's going into 5th at least!
Eric left for Haiti this morning to work on our new project there, Leve. The team will be taking pictures and video to put together to show what our program is about. They will also be looking at property to possibly rent/buy for the project. He is so excited to get back, do some work there and see all his friends that he's made over the few years he's been going.
Although it's a little hard for us (esp ME with 3 kids now!), we support him and love what he does there.
We made our vacation plans a week or so ago and have decided to go to Coronado Island in CA. Originally, we thought we'd do a cruise since we never have, but I started having second thoughts and since we normally don't take "real" vacations, I thought this one better be good. So, we looked into all inclusive places, but VERY expensive...and we ended up thinking California! We can drive, which is a HUGE plus, there is a TON to do and I've wanted to do SeaWorld for a while now.
So, it should be fun. We're staying for 5 nights. I can't wait! A little nervous about taking the baby....even thought about leaving him with someone at home...but I think we've decided to take him with. Since it IS a family vacation..So, we'll see!!!
Last Friday, I was driving home from a movie with friends and a white dog with leash hanging ran across a main road. I pulled to the center of the road, and called to her. She came right to me....To make a long story short, we now have another addition to our family!
We think she's about 2 yrs old, and a pit bull mix. So far, she's pretty healthy, just skinny. I really had no intention of keeping her, but she is seriously the sweetest thing ever. We took her to the vet yesterday and so far, all looks good. I really really really don't want another dog, so we'll see what happens...I've contacted a rescue just in case...and am still trying to find her owner. But so far, she's ours..
Well, I started this 2 days ago and just got back to it, so I'm going to post it now and try and write more maybe another day next week or so.
Happy Summer!
Mich

5 things.............

2010-04-26T16:51:00.000-07:00

So, I'm going to steal an idea from a couple friends' blogs and let you know 5 fun facts about each member of my family. Well, they may not be "fun" but hopefully they will give you a little update on all of us and look inside our family.
So, here goes:

I will start from our youngest, Sebastian 1 yr old:
1. His favorite word is Dadadadada
2. He is ALWAYS jumping!!! Either in his crib, in the pack & play or on the ground
3. He rarely cries, only when he goes to bed or down for a nap or when he fell and bit through his tongue the other day (poor little guy)
4.He LOVES to pull Mia's hair (She, on the other hand, doesn't love it so much)
5. He came home to us from Haiti almost exactly 3 months ago and it seems like he's always been here....

Mia, 6
1. Is coloring/drawing/writing at least 75% of the time she is awake
2. Her favorite food is Ramen Noodles
3. She just hit the 30 lb mark on the scale and we all celebrated!
4. She asks me about 100 questions a day....
5. She loves to read and be read to

Helayna, 14
1. is so wonderful when it comes to helping with her little brother and sister
2. was homeschooled up until 7th grade, when we sent her to a charter school
3. Has a VERY VERY silly side that only family and close friends get to see
4. HATES to wake up early, but will wake up 2 hours before school because looking good is more important than sleep to her
5. wants to live in Haiti and be a nurse

Eric, 39 (haha)
1. Also wants to live in Haiti...but not be a nurse:)
2. Spends most of his time working on our new project in Haiti, "Leve Project"
3. Is an amazing father and husband and although I tell him this, I probably don't do it enough
4. his favorite past time is working out (as most of you probably know)
5. He loves to grocery shop (I know, right?)

Me (Michele), also 39 (I am trying to embrace it!)
1. might be able to be talked in to living in Haiti, if that is where God calls us
2. LOVES to read and tries to every night
3. found out today that I am terrified of heights when I tried to climb down a ladder
4. could live on chocolate, bread and water
5. wants to go on a helicopter ride sometime in the near future

And there you have it!
Hope you enjoyed learning a little about us....
xoxoxo
Michele

April 2010

2010-04-16T21:37:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's been a long time since I posted last...and with good reason. Almost 3 months ago, our world was shaken up and changed forever when our little boy came home from Haiti after the horrible earthquake there. We had one days notice and had to fly to Florida to go get him and we've never looked back....
Of course, it took some adjusting for all of us....but we are SO happy and feel so fortunate and blessed to have him at home where he belongs.
I was so scared for him that first week after the quake. I didn't know where the kids at the orphange were sleeping, what they were eating or if they were safe. I went to bed, worried about him and woke up thinking about him too.
It was a crazy trip to Florida to get him. We left on a Tuesday, got to Florida, had to drive 3 hours to where he was and then drove 3 hours back to Orlando that same night.
We got home late on Wednesday and I don't think I've ever been so exhausted in my life. We arrived at the airport where about 50 of our friends and family, PLUS a news crew were waiting to greet us with signs and all! We were so overwhelmed with all the love and support and continued to be the first few weeks...people brought us meals, babysat for me, painted the baby's room, set up all his stuff that was donated to us, brought over diapers, wipes, toys, clothes, exersaucers, bathtubs, and everything a baby needs...I have never experienced such generosity!
Because we were on the news, Sebastian was basically a superstar at church that weekend! It was so funny and so heartwarming at the same time. To think how much this little boy has affected so many is amazing to me.
Anyhow, now we are a family of 5 and I can't really imagine our lives without him. He just fits in so perfectly...he's silly, sweet and pretty much always happy. I've been very blessed...We all have been.
Helayna has been a HUGE help, almost a second mom to him and he loves her to death! Mia is always wanting to help and is great at making him laugh! Eric loves finally having a son and I love seeing the joy on his face when they play.
There are moments when I wonder, "how did this child get here???" But then, I realize that, with God, anything is possible and we are perfect examples of that.
Sebastian is a true blessing from God and I hope that he always knows that.
I will try and update more...but my time is limited even more now....
xoxo
Michele

Sebastian is home with us, where he belongs!!!!! Here's his first week....

2010-01-31T16:05:00.000-08:00

Sebastian and his Grandma

Sebastian and Mommy at the doctor....our first self-portrait

Playing.....

Sisters helping with Sebastian's bath

Our first shopping trip to Sams!

How NASCAR Came to the Rescue of Haiti Orphans

2010-01-31T16:03:00.000-08:00

This is a story about how Sebastian's orphanage got out of Haiti:

How NASCAR Came to the Rescue of Haiti Orphans

Pics from Haiti

2009-11-24T00:16:00.000-08:00

A true AZ Diamondbacks fan already!!!
Look at those lips!!!!
So cute!!

Pics of our baby boy:)

2009-11-23T21:00:00.001-08:00

Dad and son
So happy....
Cuddling....
Helayna, reading the HUG book Mia sent for him
D Backs!
Reading together
So precious!!!!
I wonder who put the hat on him??? hmmm....
Sleepy head
Fell asleep in his sister's arms....
Look at that face!
teething, for sure!
Helayna, holding Sebastian in the new blankie she picked for him
Eric making Sebastian laugh
Does he look happy, or what?
love this one!!!!
Wheeee!!!! not too high, Daddy, or mommy will be mad!!!
Helayna and her brother, having fun!
Too adorable, I can't stand it!

Pics from Haiti

2009-11-22T23:42:00.000-08:00

I LOVE PARKWAY/ A Thousand Questions

2009-11-18T23:30:00.001-08:00

This is an incredible video that we watched at church.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiNBmNl88Pk

It also prompted me to write this....
Tonight I went to a dinner at Parkway and I had some thoughts I want to share. I was there, doing something that I've come to love, which is serving on the hospitality team. Which, is basically, setting up, serving food/drinks, cleaning up, etc. Tonight's event was catered so we were just there to help out as needed. I love this ministry because first of all, it's one of the gifts God has given me and I love using it. Secondly, I love serving the family of PCC in any way that I can and this is a small way that I can do that.

So, tonight, a few people stood up and spoke at the dinner, and one of the staff talked about how he loves Parkway, how the pastor and people are so "real", another talked about how much her and her husband had been changed since they started attending. All of the people who spoke were funny, honest, "real" and I thought to myself, this is a perfect example of the family of Parkway.
It also got me thinking about how blessed I feel to be a part of that family.

We watched a video called "A Thousand Questions" and it was basically about how there is so much evil, hate, violence, hunger, poverty, etc..in the world, but there are people who say "Here am I, Send Me" and ask God to send them out into that world to change it for the better. No matter where in the world that is, they GO. They don't ask why, how, what? They just GO. No questions asked...no fear, no doubts (well, maybe a few...) but they follow God's will and plan for their lives and are able to change it, a little at a time.

When we started coming to PCC about 5 years ago, we were different people. Every person we have met, the experiences we have had and the way we have grown has been directly caused by us attending Parkway. God led us to this church for a reason and I have only seen a small part of that and I know there is much more to come.

My husband is a different person than when we first started coming to PCC. He is now the missions director and sets up all the mission trips for the church. We both feel he was meant to do this, and wish he could do it as his full time job...People that knew him 15-20 years ago would NOT recognize the person he has become and I am proud to say he is my husband.

He left this morning for his 5th trip to an orphange in Haiti, where he loves to go and this time, he took our 13 yr old., Helayna.

She has wanted to go for about 2 years, but I have to admit, I was scared.... and just recently, I told her she could go after hearing a missionary speak about how "we are never safer than in the middle of God's will". It is a hard thing to allow your baby to go to a 3rd world country, but when you know she is doing God's will, it's a hard thing not to let her go. How could I? So, I "let her go"...not just to Haiti, but in general.

I don't think that, 5 years ago, they would be going to Haiti. I think we would've found excuses not to go. Whether it be money, time, fear....But I think we all agree now, that when God calls you to do something or to GO somewhere, you GO...no matter what. And I am so proud of Eric and Helayna for doing just that. While I was watching the video, I thought of them and I realized that they are doing exactly what they were meant to do. It made me cry.

My teenager is going to Haiti, to an orphanage to serve and love those who are in poverty and need it. If not her, than who?

I think, so often, we are scared to GO and do what we feel we should...but if not us, than who? We all should be willing to say "Here am I, Send Me" and not give it a second thought. If we could all do that, this world would start to be a better place. But it's hard....and scary....

I was so sad this morning when Helayna left, and my Parkway family came through for me...I got texts, emails and calls, asking how I was. And then tonight, at the church, my friends came up and gave me hugs and asked how I was doing. I could tell they understood and knew how hard it was for me to let her go. But, to have those people there who care enough to ask, is a wonderful feeling and I am so thankful for them.

Parkway is going to be BIG. I can feel it and I know it, in my heart. And not only the building, but the church itself. I am thrilled to see that 2nd building starting to be built because I know it's going to affect many people and I can't wait to see that.

That it's going to be big isn't the most exciting part, though. Like Trent always says, it's just a building. It's the people inside that matter, that are the church. And I have found this, 100% to be true.
I see how packed we are, and how you can't walk down the hallway without bumping into someone...which is sometimes fun, since you see so many people you know...but sometimes, it's not so great, like on those HOT summer days when you'd rather not bump into other people!!! Having a bigger building will allow others in Surprise to come and see what we're all about and join in on the wonderful things that are happening....and I can't wait to see that happen.

I love this place so much and I never want to leave. I want to be here to see it grow and to be a part of that growth. I feel entirely blessed that my family is a part of the Parkway family and I love and appreciate ever single person who has affected our lives there.
There is something different and wonderful about it and I can't imagine our lives without Parkway in it.

So, thank you to Trent, for being "real", for being a wonderful teacher and a huge part of our growth. Also, for inspiring me to be a better person and Christian and for challenging me, constantly. Once we stop being challenged, I think we stop growing and I never want that to happen. I respect and admire you for the leader you are and I think your honesty is infectious. You have changed our family and I thank you for the part you have played in our growth.

Thank you to my family at Parkway. There are so many of you who I love, admire, respect and appreciate. You are there for me, when I need you and I am constantly reminded of what a true Christian family is. You help hold me up when I am down...I was so sad this morning, but when I heard your messages or saw you tonight, I felt the sadness lift a little. I felt loved and supported and isn't that what family is? When i am going through something, and you are praying for me, I feel your support and it helps me to get through whatever it is. It makes me feel "protected" in a way. I also feel appreciated for what I do there and even though it's not necessary, it sure helps!

I can't say enough about how much I love Parkway, but this is just a little example of how I feel.

xoxoxo
Michele

Dad and daughter are off!

2009-11-18T10:13:00.001-08:00

Pictures from the hospital/Halloween

2009-11-09T20:20:00.001-08:00

Helayna being brave
getting her blood drawn for the first time
Faith and Mia
Us
Eric and me

What's new with us....

2009-11-09T19:58:00.000-08:00

There's a lot
going on at our house....and we're all busy as usual.

We were all hit hard with the flu about a month ago and it was terrible!

It started with me, but I didn't get that bad right away. Then, it was Mia. She was the worst. I have never been so scared....We took her to urgent care during the day, because she had a high fever and was pretty miserable. They told us she had the flu and to bring her back if anything got worse. We checked on her that night before going to bed and her fever was 105! We looked at each other, debated a minute or two whether to bring her in and decided that we'd better. She's never had a fever that high and she's so tiny, we worried about her getting worse in the middle of the night. So, we all headed to the hospital at midnight! We were there until 5am! She was so dehydrated, her heart rate was really fast and they weren't comfortable with letting her go home so they wanted her to keep drinking apple juice, get re hydrated and see if her heart rate slowed...so after 3 cups of juice and about 4 hours later, they felt like we could go home and watch her.

But, I was scared to do that...what if she got worse? Once they mentioned her heart, I was so nervous and didn't know what to do when they gave us the choice to stay and keep monitoring her or go home and watch her....I was like, "watch her for WHAT?" I asked the dr. what he would do if it were his daughter, he told me he would take her home and told me what to watch her for. It was basically that her fever didn't get higher, that she wasn't acting totally "listless" and anything else that made me feel like she was getting worse.

So, I went home all scared and watched her like a hawk....in the meantime, Helayna started to get sick and then Eric...and I started feeling worse too.
So......we all had the H1N1 at the same time!!!!!!! All I remember from most of those 3 weeks was being quite frustrated that I didn't have the energy I needed to make dinner and take care of my family like I wanted to. AND that nobody could take care of me since they were all sick too! I remember sitting on the floor in between Helayna and Mia who were on the couch, Eric in bed...and not quite knowing who to help first....So, I just tried to lie down with them when I could, keep the dishes and laundry going for the most part and that's about it....
It lasted for 3 weeks, on and off....where one of us would feel better and then get sick again...it was just crazy!

But, praise God that we're all better now....

THEN, to make matters worse...I was out the other morning, walking Logan (our husky) and I get a call from Helayna's school telling me that she fainted while giving a report in science! I was like, "what?!?!?!" I couldn't quite believe what I was hearing and my thoughts went to all the symptoms she's complained of lately...stomach issues, headaches, being really tired, etc...and I started to let my mind wander and think the worst....I called my mom crying...thinking, what if something really was wrong with her???? What would I do? How would I get through it? And then I just prayed, really really hard....

I went to pick her up, she looked fine which made me feel better. (a little, at least) and then I took her right into the dr. They sent her for an EKG and bloodwork, and after all that, they've decided that it was a "vasovagal attack", which is the most common type of fainting, esp. in children and young adults. It's caused when blood pressure drops, reducing circulation to the brain while standing up. It may be due to anxiety, fear, pain, emotional stress or hunger.
Some people are more prone to these attacks and they think that Helayna may be. So, she needs to make sure she eats enough if she starts to feel shaky, she needs to sit down.
It was really really really scary....I told her, while she was lying in the hospital bed, getting her EKG, that her and Mia were going to kill me! I can't keep worrying like that!!!!! To have both my kids in the hospital within a month is just too much!!!
But, thankfully, everyone is fine now....

Halloween was fun...Mia was "Belle", Helayna was a ballerina kitty. They were both very cute...and we celebrated 3 times!

We had our small group Halloween potluck, a church potluck that I organized and then Halloween night. We went trick or treating with Mia's best friend, Faith and her parents. Helayna went with 5 friends in our neighborhood and then they all spent the night..yes!...I am crazy, I know! But, they were so good and I like having them here, so I know where my kid is....and they're all good kids. They were home early and were so good, I hardly noticed there were here....well, that may be exaggerating...but they were really fine. I enjoyed having them.

Mia's birthday is in one week!!! She's going to be 6 and I cannot believe it!

We're having a party for her on Sunday. One of my friends does dress up bday parties, so she's coming over and Helayna and her friends are going to help. They're going to dress up, get their hair, makeup and nails done and do a fashion show. Then, we're having some people over for pizza that night.

Helayna and Eric leave for Haiti next Wednesday! They'll be gone for 10 days...I am trying so hard not to be nervous about Helayna going, since I've been stalling for about 2 years...I never wanted her to go but I feel like it's time for me to "let her go" and so I am going to do that....she is so excited and I know Eric's so excited to bring her with so she can see what he does there.

He just loves it there and I have this feeling that she will too. I am just going to pray and pray and know that God will take care of her and keep her safe....and look forward to when they come back so I can hear all about it and see pictures. And I'll talk to them while they're there...even if it costs $300 like last time! (yikes!)

So, please pray for them while they're there...and also for me and Mia while we're home.

That's all I have time for right now....
xoxoxoxo
Mich

NEW EXCITING NEWS!!!!!

2009-09-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

Well, we have some good news that may come as a shock to you, or maybe not...................

We have decided to adopt a little boy from Haiti!!!!!

His name is Sebastian and he is 5 months old. I'm still not quite sure how it all happened but I will try and tell you what I know...

I spoke to Eric on Friday while he was in Haiti, and I asked him if there were any new babies in the orphanage. (Why I asked this, I have NO idea) He told me yes, there were 3 new babies.

So I told him to take some pictures of them and send them to me. Still, not sure why I asked him to do that.....I had no intention of EVER adopting from Haiti, even though it was something Eric always made clear he would love to do.

So, he went in the "baby room", which he hadn't really done up until this point since he's not really a "baby person" and he held all 3 of them. When he held Sebastian, he said he felt like he really responded to him. But even before he told me that, I saw the pictures of the babies and didn't feel much of anything with the 2(other than they were cute...), but when I saw him, I couldn't stop staring. He is so adorable and his eyes just drew me in. It wasn't exactly like when I first saw Mia's picture, but I have to say, it was pretty close. The more I looked at him, the more I started to feel like maybe this could be our son...

So, I told Eric to take a ton of pictures and video...

When he came home, he showed me the pictures and when I watched the video, I started to cry!!!! I think, that was the moment I knew...

But, I didn't want to rush into things because of emotion, so I told him I didn't want to officially decide til tomorrow. So we put him on "prayer hold", which is what you do when you think you may want to adopt a child.

So, since then, I've been looking at his pictures and video, praying about it, talking about it and I have not had one moment that tells me NO. I even wake up thinking about him and feeling happy....I feel like it's the right time (since it takes like 2 years!), he's the right age (he'll come home around the same age Mia was,which is 2 1/2), we aren't getting any younger (40!!!) and since Eric's on the board at the orphanage, we can pretty much go visit any time we want. The $$$ of course, is an issue, but we never worried about it with Mia and if this is meant to be, we know it'll be fine. God will provide what we need to bring him home.

I think I've been fearful for a long time, due to a lot of things, but mostly the way I've been feeling, physically. And in turn, emotionally. I wake up pretty much every morning and feel very tired and not very well and the doctors haven't really been able to figure it out yet. I've taken lots of tests, done a sleep test, tried different medications but nothing seems to work yet. But, I figure if I keep waiting and waiting, what if I never feel "perfect"? Then, I will have missed out on a chance to bring a little boy into our family, which is what we both really want. So, I will continue to try and figure out how to feel better and in the meantime, pray that I have the energy and strength to do what I need to do with the adoption. And where I leave off, that's where God comes in and gives me what I need to get through.

We may have blindsided some of you with this. Although, I'm pretty sure you knew this was something that was coming eventually, although we thought it was going to be from Vietnam, but as in Mia's adoption, what we originally thought wasn't what ended up happening...God seems to work that way. Once we think we know something, He throws us a curveball and changes everything! I've learned to love it!

I'm still reeling from all this, but in a good way. When I look at his picture, I just smile and feel love....

I hope you will too, once you meet him.

We've talked to Helayna and Mia about this, and they both are excited about their little brother. Which is quite amazing, since Helayna didn't want us to adopt again anytime soon. But, with this little boy, we're all on the same page. She just smiles when we mention his name. It's so cute!

And she's going to get to meet him in November, when she goes to Haiti on a mission trip with Eric. I thought of going with them, but she really wants it to be a daddy/daughter bonding trip, so I want to honor that. So, I figure I'll go and meet him sometime in early 2010, which is something I never thought I would do...go to Haiti!!! Wow! How a life can change overnight!

I figure that Helayna's the next best thing to me...she can give him lots of love, hugs and kisses and take pics and video for me...that should hold me over til I can go meet him in person.

So.........The wonderful craziness of adoption begins again.....

Please pray for us.:)

xoxo,

Michele

Enjoy the video of our little cutie....

Mia's 3rd Adoption Day Anniversary!!!

2009-07-31T01:37:00.000-07:00

:)...........Celebrating with Family and Friends..........:)

Me and my sweet girl

Missy, Nic and Mia

Me and Mia

Chloe, Nic and Mia

A special person who we will miss dearly.....

2009-07-10T19:06:00.000-07:00

I am so sad to be writing this, but Eric's dad, Gary Schweig, passed away on Monday. He had been sick for many, many years and had a heart transplant 13 years ago. A few years back, he also had a kidney transplant. He was diagnosed with diabetes and congestive heart failure, among other things. He really hasn't been healthy for years.

But, to anyone who knew him, I know they would say that they could never tell that he was so sick. He always had a smile on his face or was making jokes and he never complained. Even when he'd be totally out of breath from walking up a few stairs, he would just stop, rest for a minute and go on. He just didn't "act" sick.

So, I think that's part of the reason some of us are so shocked that he's gone. Even though I knew how sick he really was and Eric and I knew and talked about this day coming, it didn't prepare us for the reality of it.

I just can't imagine the Schweig family without Gary. I don't think I could be in a room with him for more than 5 minutes without cracking up. He always made me smile and always made me feel loved. I felt like he was my 2nd dad, especially after my dad passed almost 2 years ago.

He and Eric have always had a special relationship and I'm going to miss seeing that between them. They had all these silly jokes and saying between them and I've never seen Eric laugh harder than with his dad.

And then, if you got his sister with the two of them...watch out! It was nonstop laughing...for me, at least! I keep saying that at least part of Gary will always live in his kids and now, with Helayna. I see that same type of relationship with her and Eric that Gary had with his son and it's so heartwarming and kind of funny, that a sense of humor can be passed down from generation to generation.

Helayna also had a special bond with her grandpa. He always joked around with her and I think it's part of why she has a thick skin now. She loved him very much and was devastated when I told her that he had passed away. I'm not sure I've ever seen such sadness in her eyes. It broke my heart to see my daughter go through that kind of pain. It makes me so sad that my daughters are left without any grandfathers now. It's such a wonderful thing to see, your father with your kids and it's something I will treasure forever, with my dad and also with Eric's dad. It's so hard, because I wonder sometimes, if it's better to love someone so much and then lose them or to not have ever loved that deeply. I think I may be able to argue both sides. But, ultimately, I think the deep love wins out.

To remember my dad with Helayna are some of the most precious memories I will ever have and I would never want to give those up. And now, with Gary...I think about how little was when Nikki (Eric's sister) got married and I have a picture on my wall of her sitting on Gary's knee and they are looking right at each other. It's so sweet and just reminds me of the love between them. I would never want to take that away from Helayna.

It's just so hard to watch your kids hurting and I feel like Helayna has been through a lot in her 13 years already. Part of me believes that this is what has made her into the wonderful girl she is now and also has made her strong and able to deal with change, loss and other difficult things. But the other part of me just wants to put her in a bubble, where nothing bad ever happens.

She was only 5 years old when our baby, Faith was born and looking back, I feel like she acted like she was 10! I remember her being so mature and dealing with it all so well...probably even better than me. When we lost Faith, it was devastating to our family, but we got through it together and with God's strength and peace.

We moved to Arizona when Helayna was 8 and this was a HUGE change for her (and all of us!). But I don't remember her EVER complaining or regretting the move. She just went along with it, doing the best she could, even though she missed her family and friends. She was strong and got through it, making friends along the way and adjusting very well.

In 2006, my dad passed away from lung cancer after being diagnosed only a year prior. This was a huge loss for our family, especially for me and Helayna. My dad used to come over ALL the time when Helayna was little, always bringing her presents and making time for us, taking us to dinner, playing with Helayna and just spending time. So, when he passed away, it was completely and utterly shocking and I didn't know how I would live my life without my dad. I still wonder how I do it sometimes, I miss him so much. It's still painful to think about, but then I smile thinking of all the good memories of him with Helayna. When he died, Helayna lost another important person in her life, but got through it.

Then,after being homeschooled since 1st grade, we put Helayna in a charter school for the first time last year. (7th grade) I thought it would be a really hard adjustment for her, but looking back, I think it was harder on me! She did so well,made tons of friends and I'm so proud of her.

This was another stepping stone for her and in her faith, I think, and I believe that God has carried her through all these things, teaching her valuable lessons each time.

I feel like she is meant for big things in the future and I think with all these tragedies in her life and her getting through them, she has come out a stronger and more resilient person and it will benefit her in her adulthood. This is what keeps me going, when I think about her sadness right now and how she misses her grandpa.

I'm not quite sure how this turned out to be all about Helayna, but I guess she's on my mind right now because I just told her today, after she got back from church camp where she had been for the week. It was a struggle, trying to decide if we should call her at camp and tell her, if we should drive the 2 hours to pick her up and tell her, or if we should just let her have her fun and tell her when she got back. We chose the last and I believe it was the right decision. Although it was so hard for me not to be there with Eric and didn't feel right, I think it was the way it had to be.

We are all going to miss Gary so much and I think it's going to take a long time for all of us to heal from this loss. I have known him since I was 15 years old and I loved him very much. I will always remember his sense of humor and his resilience even in the midst of sickness and pain. He had such a wonderful attitude that I think we can all learn from and try to emulate. We all have aches and pains, but we need to focus on the many many blessings we all have instead of the negative.

For me, I have a wonderful husband and two beautiful daughters who make me smile every single day. I have a mom who is moving here to be close to all of us (yeay!!!) and I am so thankful for that. I have a sister who is also my best friend and another sister who is by marriage,but as special to me as if she were my blood. I also have nieces and nephews who I love dearly and other kids who are like family that I love very much too. And the friends we have made over the years....I can't even imagine my life without them. So many have touched our lives in ways I can't even explain and I am so grateful for that. Our church family has been one of the biggest blessings and they have shown us the meaning of "loving and serving others". I can't tell you how many phone calls, emails, fb messages and offers of help we've gotten this past week. We both are truly touched.

So, when I am not feeling well or going through something, I am going to try and remember Gary and be positive. Have a sense of humor always...especially about myself. Not be so serious. We have ONE life...we need to enjoy it!

And one more thing I've learned this week...we NEED to tell people how we really feel about them NOW,and not wait. We NEVER know how much time any of us has, and if we don't speak up, we may never get the chance.

I am so happy that the last time I saw Gary in the hospital, the last thing I said to him was "I love you". We all need to do that. NOW.

Here's to you, Gary....Dad.....Grandpa......"My Father"(as Eric called him).....We will always love you.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Summer 2009

2009-06-24T10:42:00.000-07:00

Sue and Mia BFF's!
Me and my fam on father's day
the girls with their grandparents
sweet baby Dani
me and my "playgroup" friends

Hello all ,

It's been a while, so I thought I'd post an update on what we've been up to lately.

We just got back from a long trip to IL. Eric's dad is in the hospital with COPD, among many other things and we were all very worried and scared and wondered if he'd make it this time. It's been a long road since he had a heart transplant about 12 years ago, also a kidney transplant and he's never been perfectly healthy since. He's been in the hospital multiple times and it's just been a hard life for him and for his wife. Eric was really scared this time, so we planned a trip home and it ended up that he started to get better. He is now in a rehab center, so we're very hopeful that he will recover and be able to go home. Lots of prayer...

Good news....my sister in law, Nikki, had a new baby!!!! She was born on June 10 and her name is Danielle Paige. She is a beautiful 9 lb 1 oz red head and I just love her! I only got to spend a few days with her and I miss her already. She is adorable and her big sister Ali, is so sweet with her and calls her "my baby sister" in this adorable little voice....oh, they are so cute! Mia had so much fun playing with her cousin. They are 2 years apart and pretty much the same size. Very cute...

While we were in IL, we stayed with our long time friends, The Vosburgs. It was like staying at a 5 star resort! They took such good care of us, we had the whole basement to ourselves, complete with a bedroom, bathroom, pool table, theatre room and more....It was so wonderful to be with their family and to have some quality time. They are such great people and always so fun and positive. We stayed up late most nights, hanging out with Matt(24) or Stephanie(21) and just had fun, talking and laughing. We also got to see Melissa's (31) new condo which she just moved into. It's so pretty and it was so great to see what she's accomplished.

I also got to visit with my high school friends, Laura and Cindi and their kids. We went out to Cindi's house and just hung out for a few hours. It was so fun but not enough time.

We had pizza one night with our Crystal Lake friends, too. 4 couples and lots of kids...so good to see everyone.

Finally, after 11 years, Eric graduated college!!!!!!!!! He is now a DePaul graduate and has a bachelor degree in psychology. I am so proud. We loved seeing him walk on the stage and get his diploma. Now he wants to go back and get his masters.....yikes!

And last, but not least, me and the girls spent the night at my mom's and helped her to pack up for her big move to AZ!!! I could not be more excited about her living her and finally seeing her more than 2 times a year. It means so much to me that she will be here for the every day life and see my kids grow up and spend quality time with them on a regular basis. Also, that I will be able to be there and help when she needs it. It's been so hard being so far away and not being able to help when I want to. So, this will be a blessing for us all.

We don't have much else planned for the summer. Helayna only gets a month off so we're trying to make the most of it by not planning too much and just relaxing and spending time together. Yesterday was "sister day" (they planned it themselves) and they made play dough (yes, I said MADE it) and just played all day and then had a "sleepover" together in the loft. Very cute....it warms my heart to see them getting along so well and having so much fun.

We may try and go to the Grand Canyon this summer and maybe do a couple other weekend trips, but we'll see. Arizona has so much to see and so close by, that we can drive to. So, I want to take advantage of that.

Yesterday was Mia's 1st swim lesson of the summer. Her teacher said she is a fish and she will be a great swimmer one day. She said that she will for sure be able to be on the swim team next year! She can already swim on her own, jump in, go under, etc...so she will just be learning the different strokes. Yesterday she learned freestyle and 2 others that I forget the names of. I am so proud of her and it is so much fun to watch her in the pool. She just loves it!

Well, that's my update for now. I will try to write more than I have been lately.

Until next time...................xoxoxo

Haiti mission trip pics

2009-03-13T21:43:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures from Eric's trip to Haiti. He is coming home tomorrow and although I know he misses us, he is sad to leave. He really loves it and I know he feels "at home" when he is there. I can tell, by just looking at the pictures of him, how happy he is. His face shows true joy and it's such an amazing thing for me to see. He is so stressed all the time from work and all the expectations on him, plus school and now leading up missions at church. It's a lot for one person to take on and it takes it's toll on him. I wish he could give something up, but I don't know what. Part of me hopes and prays that one day, he will be able to quit his sales job and do something full time with missions. I know that's what's in his heart and I don't even care about the money. We will figure it out and make it work. I just want him to be happy, and in turn, we will all be a happier family. I just hope that God will make it clear to him (and us) how this can happen.
If it were up to Eric, I think we'd move to Haiti and help the orphanage out full time. I just don't feel this is where we're meant to be, so I'm waiting to see if he comes up with anything else. I hope he does. I want to see him as happy here, as he is when he's helping out those kids in Haiti.
I know that God will show it to us, in time...we just have to be patient and wait...

off to Haiti!

2009-03-05T21:43:00.000-08:00

Well, Eric leaves for Haiti on Saturday so I thought I'd share a bit about that.

He is leading a group from our church to Port Au Prince, Haiti, for the 3rd time. They are going to an orphanage where our best friends, Missy and Chris adopted their sweet son, Nicolas 4 years ago.

There are 15 of them going, about 1/3 are kids between the ages of 14-17. It is the first time for most of them, except a few that have gone on previous trips.

The first time that Eric went on a mission trip, I have to say I was a little nervous. I didn't let it get the best of me, though, and anytime I started to worry, I would just pray and know that he was where God wanted him to be. And even though it's quite morbid, I knew that if something were to happen to him, at least he was doing God's work. Is there a better way to go?....

But on the positive...Eric hasn't been the same since his first trip. Although he came back home and was in a "funk" for a week or so, it changed his life dramatically.

He is now in charge of missions at our church, and is planning to organize mission trips to all 7 continents in the next 3 years, which is part of our new vision at Parkway.

He has found a new passion, which is helping kids and I see how much it excites him and it makes me so happy. I just wish he could do it full time and make a living doing it so he could spend all his time dedicated to it instead of sales. I know that is his wish, too.

I am excited about this trip and hearing about all that they will do. They spend a lot of time at the orphanage, playing with the kids, helping the nannies and doing lots of work around the grounds. They will also visit Mother Theresa's hospital where all the patients are kids that are terminally ill. It's very sad, but a very moving experience, I've heard.

Mia is so cute and knows exactly where Eric is going and when. She keeps saying that "Daddy's going to Haiti on Saturday and I'm having a sleepover with mommy". (I let her sleep with me when he's gone)

It's hard to see him go, but I know we'll be ok and that this is something that he is meant to do.

Mia is on spring break the week that he's gone, so we'll probably be lazy and just stay around the house. Maybe I'll do some "spring cleaning". (or maybe not!)

The first time he went to Haiti, the girls missed him so much and cried the first night he was gone.Mia held one of Eric's tshirts and started crying, then helayna and then me. So, we were all hugging and crying and then the phone rang and it was him! They were so happy to hear his voice.

It was easier the second time and will probably be even more so this time around. He will call us when he can, but it's VERY expensive so we'll probably do most of our communicating through email and maybe Skype. I love hearing about what they're doing every day...which I will be posting on the Haiti blog at: http://pcchaitimission.blogspot.com/

So, please pray for the team as they head to Haiti and for us as we stay home....

xoxoxo

Michele

My family

2009-01-19T02:58:00.001-08:00

Get your own Family Sticker Maker & MySpace Layouts.

Corruption in Vietnam Adoptions

2009-01-14T13:41:00.001-08:00

As the majority of you know, we adopted our sweet Mia from Vietnam in July of 2006, after the program had been shut down for 2 years because of corruption. Now, Vietnam is closed again to any new adoptions for the same reason and nobody has any idea of when they will open back up.

This makes me sad, personally, because I saw, firsthand how many orphaned kids there were in just ONE orphanage there. And there are hundreds of them... So now what happens to those kids? They have to pay the price because there are money-hungry people in the world who don't care about them and would rather they sit in orphanages without a real family while there are hundreds or thousands of willing families who would love to adopt them?
It is just so hard to swallow...
Part of me thinks about how lucky and blessed we are to have brought Mia home when we did, but on the other hand, it's hard not to think of all the kids that were left behind and may not get homes for years.
This is something that is important for us to keep up with, as adoptive parents, since Mia will most likely want to know more details as she gets older.
Also, we would love to adopt a little boy one day and our obvious first choice would be from Vietnam.
So, here is a blog that I found on this subject that tells all about what's going on with Vietnamese adoptions now:

Corruption in Vietnam Adoptions

Jan 12th, 2009 by Nicki

The Washington Post, today, printed this short yet powerful look at International Adoption. Of specific interest to those of us involved in adoptions from Vietnam is this bit:

A cable from the U.S. embassy in Vietnam, recently obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by the Schuster Institute for Investigative Journalism, said that, “while there are legitimate orphans in Vietnam, the corruption in the adoption process has become so widespread that [the embassy] believes that there is fraud in the overwhelming majority of cases of infants offered for international adoption.”

This is the first time we have really heard that fraud has tainted the vast majority of adoptions. This is a hard pill to swallow and certain one that conflicts with what we’ve heard from such Agency Advocacy organizations as JCICS who, in their most recent position paper, refer to the corruption in Vietnam adoptions as “isolated reports of abuse”.

In fact, the very level of abuse and fraud is something that interests many. Some believe that the US government is grossly exaggerating the level of corruption. Others believe that the corruption has been much closer to the statement from the US Embassy, above, and this only verifies what has long been understood and experienced first hand.

Meanwhile adoptions continue in Vietnam with families still awaiting I600 approval for referrals received before the shutdown and some families fighting to bring home the babies they were referred after the shutdown or for whom they received a NOID. Simultaneously, both the US government and Vietnam’s government have received pressure from American citizens and Agency lobby groups to arrive at a new agreement and open doors to US-Vietnam adoptions again, as soon as possible. Truly every orphan without a chance at reuniting with their natural family or being adopted domestically in Vietnam deserves the chance at a permanent stable family abroad. But is it wise, given the extent of fraud that exists, to rush a new agreement that may inadvertently continue to hurt the very orphans we hope to help?

We may never know the true extent of corruption in Vietnam but for those of us who have already completed our adoptions, it is important that we keep abreast of these investigations and studies as they supply vital pieces of information that will be of value as our adopted children grow. It is tempting to be convinced that certainly our own adoptions could not have been tainted but the reality is that few of us can say with complete certainty that our adoption process was untouched by any fraud or corruption. Our children will have questions and eventually they will have the means to research their own answers. Meanwhile we can do the best we can to read, with an open heart and mind, the information as it becomes available that might lead us to a better understanding of the true situation that existed during the 2006-2008 span of adoptions in Vietnam.

Christmas 2008

2009-01-06T00:09:00.000-08:00

me and my sisEli, Chloe, Elena and Mia

Mia with her daddy on Christmas morningCute Nicolas and his Spiderman scooter
Marla and Livvie

Christmas 2008

2009-01-06T00:05:00.001-08:00

My handsome nephew, Hunter, opening up his gifts
Mia and Missy
The beautiful Enstad girls with my beautiful Helayna
Sweet little Livvie Lu
My gorgeous girls who I love more than life itself!

Helayna's 13th Birthday!

2009-01-05T23:21:00.001-08:00

sweet sisters
helayna after getting her hair done by Auntie Marlain front of a yummy cupcake shop we went to before the mall

Helayna didn't want a party this year. She just wanted to go to the mall with her best friend, Kendall. So, we had lunch, shopped ALL day, had a sleepover and then took her to her favorite restaurant, Outback for her birthday......simple but fun!

helayna and kendall, best friends since age 2
getting a snack after all that shopping!
the birthday princess

Well, my first "baby" is officially a teenager!!! I cannot believe it! I feel like she was 8 years old yesterday and a little girl...now she is growing into a VERY tall, beautiful young lady who has a mind of her own and doesn't need her mommy so much anymore. She is becoming very independent and testing us constantly to see how far she can push and how serious we are about what we say.

I feel like part of it is because I homeschooled her from 1st through 6th grade, so we became very close and did almost everything together. I knew all her friends and their parents, knew what she was doing every second of the day pretty much and had about as much control as any parent can over the influences in her life.

Now, sending her to school this year has changed many things. I no longer know all her friends, although I do know the ones she considers her "best" friends. I do not know all their parents, although I am trying to get to know them whenever possible. I don't know what she is doing throughout the day and sometimes after school when she has activities and such. She has a cell phone but doesn't always answer it...(which drives me crazy!!!) She makes plans that I don't always 100% approve of, but I try to let her do as much as I am comfortable with. I still say "no", don't get me wrong...but I am trying to "let her go" a little at a time because I know it's what's best for her.

I still look at her as if she is my baby girl and I want to just grab her and pull her on my lap, but it's not so easy now that she's 100 lbs! She is still my sweet Helayna and I know that she will always be, deep inside, but she is definitely changing and has influences that she never had before. I guess it's a normal part of life...she can't always be a momma's girl...but it's hard for me to let her go and be her own person and leave me behind, in a sense.

I want her to have friends, have her own life, learn things on her own, have fun and be a kid...but part of me wants to be there to make sure she doesn't get hurt, make mistakes, or be let down. I just want her to be happy and never have to experience heartache or get hurt by anyone or anything and I want to protect her from the world, but I know I can't. I can't be there by her side at all times, and at some point, I have to trust that God is going to take over when I can't be. He will be there to lead her down the right path, protect her and keep her safe and help her to choose what is right and to say no to things that are wrong. I have to trust that we have laid a good foundation down for her and taught her what is most important and that God will be the center of her life, even when she doesn't quite know it yet.

I know she will question what she has learned, eventually. But, I want her faith to be her own so that's ok. I want her to ask questions and find the answers for herself, not just believe because we told her to. But, I pray that she doesn't stray too far away while she is figuring it all out. I pray that God keeps her close, even in the midst of her doubt, (if she has doubt) and that He will reign her back in quickly.

I just love this child so much that it hurts. She was my first child and will always be my baby. She is a blessing to us every single day and sometimes I can't believe we're raised such an amazing child. She is kind, funny, sweet, beautiful, artistic, smart, and very grown up for her age. She has an inner kindness and beauty that some people are lucky to see. I am so proud of her and hope that I can always show her that. Of course, we have our "moments" and she has normal teenager behaviors that aren't so fun for us...but I know that deep inside, she is my sweet Helayna and that we can get through these next few years as long as we keep communicating and being honest with each other. And of course, with God's help.

Helayna....I couldn't ask for anything more in a daughter. I love you so very much and hope that you always know that.

Only 3 more years til she drives!!!! yikes!!!!!

Mia's 5th birthday

2008-11-17T10:21:00.000-08:00

Well, my little "baby" turned 5 yesterday and I can't believe it! It seems like just yesterday we brought her home from Vietnam when she was 2 1/2...where does the time go?

Mia woke us all up at about 7am, running around singing "it's my birthday! It's my birthday!!!!", all giddy and happy. I truly have never seen anyone so excited about their birthday before, it was precious!

So, we all got up and of course, she wanted her presents first...so, she opened a baby doll from "Sissy" (Helayna), a pretty shirt from Sally, money (which she was very excited about!) from the Vosburgs and a few cards from friends and family. She also opened up some clothes from us...

Then, we all had donuts for breakfast, which was Mia's request. After breakfast, we gave her our big gift which was a princess bike! She was so excited and wanted to ride it right away. So, we went outside and played for a while, since the weather was so nice.

Helayna had fun riding the 12" bike too:)

Mia and Helayna played with her new doll for a while and then, after lunch was her party at the Little Gym.

About 15 of her friends came and they all had SO much fun. The person who ran the party was AWESOME and engaged the kids so well and had everyone laughing, running around and playing the entire time. I was so impressed, as we've had many parties but never had someone so great with the kids.

Little Gym is like a gymnasium for little kids where they can run, swing, balance, play with balls, bells, and just have lots of fun.

After they played for a long time, we went and had cake (which I ordered online and it came out beautifully) and opened gifts. They set up mats to look like a throne for Mia to sit on, so she was about 4 feet off the floor. It was so cute!

She got lots of great stuff that we've been playing with every since and lots of cute clothes too.

I looked around and felt very blessed to have so many friends and family to share her special day with. I just wish the rest of our family was there with us:(

We went to dinner at Olive Garden (also Mia's request...to have pasta) with Marla, Tom and the kids and when we got home, Mia was exhausted...I think she had her quota of fun for the day...and had a little meltdown before falling asleep for the night.

She had such a great day and I feel so thankful for this beautiful, sweet child that God has brought into my life. This is the 3rd birthday we have spent together and each year, I love her even more.

She is so silly, loving, sweet,smart, beautiful, and says the funniest thing sometimes...and I just can't imagine my life without her. I think about all the time I spent praying for her to come home and like I've said many times before, now it was all worth it. But looking at her now, just proves to me that God is good. He knew that she belonged in our family and brought her to us in His time. I truly thank him every single day for this precious child and feel so much love for her, it almost hurts.

When we sang "happy birthday" to her, it took so much for me not to cry. Just looking at her sweet face, I felt more blessed than I can even explain. To spend another birthday with her and see her smiling face means everything to me. To know that she is happy and has love surrounding her makes up for the 2 years she spent without a family. Well, it may not make up for it completely, but I know in my heart that she is where she is meant to be and that makes all the difference. I hope and pray that she always feels completely loved and knows how special she is to me.

Happy Birthday, sweet Mia Kim!

I love you so very much.....

thoughts on adoption...

2008-09-18T21:32:00.002-07:00

I just put Mia to bed and read her a book, like every other night. But tonight, I cried while I read to her. The book was called : Shaoey and Dot and it's a book about adoption. The baby in the story is in an orphanage and there's a ladybug that stays with her until she's adopted by her family.

This is the part where I cried...........

"See, I've waited till now to tell you this story.

It's about all the reasons you cry.

Sometimes it's because you feel sick, tired ,or hungry,

And sometimes you just want your pants dry."

"But, then, there's a cry that's the saddest of all.

In fact, it's unlike any other.

It comes from a deep, empty place in your heart

That can only be filled by a mother."

It just brought me back to that time that I waited and waited for Mia to come home. I felt such an ache in my heart and an emptiness in my soul that I can never explain to anyone who hasn't gone through adoption themselves. It's unlike any other feeling I've ever had and so very painful. To know that your child is in another country, needing love, affection, someone to love them as only a mother can. And you can't give that to them...it's very difficult to deal with. It's a literal ache, as the months go on and all you want to do is hold that child, tell her you love her, kiss her face and rock her to sleep. Help her when she's not feeling well, change her clothes when she's dirty, calm her when she's upset, just give her the love that she deserves and longs for. And you can't....all you can do is sit and wait....and wait...........and wait.................and pray, of course.

Reading that book brought back all those feelings for me like they were yesterday. I remember getting a picture of Mia from my agency, as I so often did (which was wonderful) but this time, it wasn't so pleasant. She was sick, had a horrible rash on her face and was lying on the tile floor in the orphanage. She looked miserable. All I could think about was how desperately I wanted to be there to make her feel better....to hold her and comfort her and give her a cool bath. It was torture not being able to help my sick baby...it was such a motherly instinct that at the moment, I knew for sure Mia was meant to be my daughter...and no matter how long it took to get her home, God will bring her home to me...

And He did. Not in my time, but in His. And I may never know why it took so long, and in the end, does it really matter? All that matters is that I have my baby girl home now, where she belongs and now I can truly be her mother and comfort her whenever she needs comforting, tell her I love her 20 times a day, give her tons of hugs and kisses to make up for all those years I wasn't there and just love her like a mother should.

God is good....and so is the gift of being a mom.

2008-09-18T21:32:00.001-07:00

9/16/08 Adoption Update

2008-09-16T09:27:00.001-07:00

Hi all,

This is an email I recieved from our adoption agency, Children's Hope International regarding what's going on in the adoption world right now. It's really sad and I just feel for all the kids who are going to suffer because of this mess. The saddest part is that none of this changes how many kids still need families and will go on living in orphanges and foster homes while they figure all of this out. They are the ones who lose out on living in loving families and it just breaks my heart to know this. We can only pray that this situation is resolved soon.

Read on:

What’s Happening in International Adoption and with Children’s Hope?

I sincerely want you and all families working with Children’s Hope International to have assurance and understand the restructuring that Children’s Hope is going through because of certain changes in international adoption.

Basically, all adoption agencies are scrambling to re-invent themselves according to the new realities. So is Children’s Hope. Here are some examples of what is happening.

China referrals have slowed to perhaps 1/4^th of what they were. The current wait time for referrals is 32 months and still climbing.
Vietnam adoptions continue for families who already have referrals but no new applications until if/when the U.S. and Vietnam authorities sign a new memorandum of agreement.
Guatemala was the second largest destination for adoptive families and it has been closed to new adoptions.
Most countries have been very slow in giving referrals causing the wait time in most countries to increase.
Korea is making announcements regarding closure of international adoptions by 2012.

International adoption agencies are reporting that new restrictions and fewer referrals are creating a crisis for them and that is certainly true with Children’s Hope.

This year the Hague accreditation process was inaugurated for certain countries which have signed to be in that process.

Of the countries where we work, that includes only

China

Colombia.

These are the only two countries we work with that require Hague Accreditation in order to accept new applications. Because we have not get received Hague accreditation, that means CHI cannot take new applications, but all CHI families with dossiers already in the country are ‘grandfathered’ in and can complete their adoption using Children’s Hope. Not to worry

We have a few families in process of completing their paperwork for China and when we receive those they will be transferred to a sister agency who will submit it in country. Otherwise the CHI families with dossiers already in country should complete without any problem.

We are still able to submit dossiers to Colombia as long as the family has an I-600a. Any others we will work to submit through a sister agency.

It does NOT apply to
Russia

Kazakhstan nor

Ethiopia

These are not “Hague Countries” and we are pleased to say everything is proceeding reasonably well. At this time there is no need for you to be concerned at all about “Hague” accreditation in these countries; Russia is slow but moves forward steadily. Kazakhstan is slow and has its own requirements. Ethiopia is all sunshine.

Vietnam is in its own category: It does not require an agency to have Hague Accreditation but it is now closed to all agencies in regard to new applications until a new Memorandum of Agreement is signed between the U.S. and Vietnam . When / If that agreement is signed, it is likely that Vietnam will require Hague accreditation.

Vietnam

Meanwhile, the CHI dossier waiting list remains the same. Everyone keeps their place in line and nothing changes. If/when Vietnam decides to return all the dossiers logged in with DIA, those dossiers will be held in our HCMC Vietnam office until a new agreement is reached. When the new agreement is reached and if CHI does not have our Hague accreditation, we would work with one or more agencies to smoothly transition families to those agencies to complete their adoptions. CHI will not abandon you and you will be taken care of through the end of your adoption.

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS:

Is Children’s Hope International continuing to seek Hague accreditation through the COA (Council on Accreditation)? Yes, we are. Vigorously.
What is the COA? They are the accrediting agency contracted by the U.S. State Department to give approval for Hague.
Is Children’s Hope International accredited by COA. Yes we are, and in good standing since 2002, and are now reapplying through them for “Hague” approval.
Is Children’s Hope licensed / accredited / or approved by the authorities in China , Colombia , Russia , Kazakhstan , Vietnam , and Ethiopia ? Yes we enjoy the honor of being approved and commended by in-country authorities in all these countries.
Can you trust Children’s Hope to complete your adoption directly or with the assistance of a sister agency? Absolutely.. We are in relationship with sister agencies that have agreed to work with us if needed, to complete your adoption or to complete any portion. Also you should know that if your file is transferred to a sister agency, it will not negatively affect your scheduled referral at all. Your LID remains constant.
Why didn’t you get “Hague” approval this time around? We have now determined that it was because of two former Russia department staff who forged names and misused their notaries. In so doing they violated the law and the principles of this agency. That was more than 15 months ago, but we understand that Hague feels there needs to be more time elapsed before approval. We have put in place an approved Corrective Action Plan to ensure absolutely clear use of cross-checking and notaries on all documents.
Why did you close your branch offices? As you can see from the above or get from the nightly news and the internet, International adoption has taken a drastic downward turn in the last 18 months. In an effort to adjust to these changes about six months ago we closed 8 branch offices to save money. As a part of our restructuring and necessary cost saving, we made the decision for all adoption processing to be centralized in the main office in St. Louis . We closed 8 offices at that time and 7 remained open only for Social Services such as post-placement reports. All families had been transferred to the St. Louis office but the branches continued to help families with social services such as homestudies and post-placement reports. When the largest number of cased were resolved, the remaining were transferred to other agencies in that state.
Why have all families been transferred to the St. Louis central office? For two reasons: One, because we have a strong staff in the home office in St. Louis who are in touch with everything that is going on with the latest changes in the countries. The second is, that with the limited number of new applications coming, it was not financially feasible to keep the offices open. I understand how nice it is for you to have a more local person to work with and I regret that we cannot continue that – but we just cannot. We do promise to serve you well from our central office.
Are you going out of business? No! There is absolutely no such intention or danger by closing our branch offices and downsizing our staff. We are still strong and want to stay that way to serve you in the completion of your adoption.
Is Children’s Hope for sale? Unreal. We have talked with sister agencies about cooperating with them for services until we can get our Hague accreditation, but nothing more. Beware: Chat lists are not the sources of good information. We are a ministry to help orphan children find homes, health and hope. We are not a business. Our Foundation continues to find ways for thousands of orphans to be helped who will never be adopted. We have raised over one million dollars in goods and services in China alone the first part of this year and are praying to God for the means to help many more in many countries.
How many adoptions will Children’s Hope complete this year? Based on the first 8 months, it should be about 450.
Are we shutting down our Yahoo Groups? Yes, we can no longer maintain these sites. Please call your adoption consultants if you have a question or problem. They will be able to give you the correct information.
How can we help Children’s Hope?

a. Believe in us. We are your agency and are totally committed to completing your adoption for you. We will not let you down.

b. Support us in our efforts to make it happen for you. We are supporting you and will do whatever it takes humanly speaking. We pray daily as a group for God’s favor and wisdom in all things.

c. Pray for us. The staff is working hard and getting fired at, sometimes viciously, by some people who believe the rumors of chat groups – but refuse to believe the simple truth. How can that help? An email of support will go a long way toward lifting them up. I believe that probably 95% of adoptive families are sensible, understanding and rational. We would like to hear from you too.

d. Be patient. We didn’t cause the long wait in China or create the political snafus in Vietnam . Please don’t blame us. A wonderful child is waiting for you but not on the schedule you started with. How can it help to complain or blame?

e. Be understanding, please. In your own personal budgeting or in your personal business, did you ever have to make changes to make it work out? We did but we are still here and plan to be here for a long time to come.

f. Don’t worry. We are going to be here for you and have made every provision financially and otherwise to complete your adoption and see you through to the last post-placement report. Really! We cannot regulate what governments may do, including our own, but we can promise you that as long as there is a door open we will be going through it with you.

I plan to communicate with you at least every month about general adoption matters. Program directors will also be sending out regular emails regarding specifics within your program.

I pray that God will guide and bless you with success in your work and family,

Dwyatt Gantt

Executive Director
(314)812-1799 Direct Line
dwyatt.gantt@ChildrensHope.net

Home Office
11780 Borman Drive, St. Louis , MO 63146
Tel: (314) 890-0086 - Fax: (314) 812-1819
www.ChildrensHope.net Help an Orphan! CLICK HERE

Helayna starts 7th grade

2008-09-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

Eating breakfast before school

Look mom! I can tie my own shoes!

Ready to go!

Kendall and Helayna, all set for 7th grade!

Well, Helayna started going to school after me homeschooling her since 1st grade!

I still can't believe it sometimes, as I really thought I'd keep her home for at least 2 more years and possibly, through high school. Eric always thought we'd send her to high school and I would just ignore him when he talked about it... I just didn't want to let my little girl go....

When we originally decided to homeschool her, she had been going to a private Christian school for preschool and pre K. It was great and I had no complaints, until we got the bill for 1st grade! Eric took one look at it and said, "Ok, why don't you homeschool her?" I had been talking about it since she was 2 years old and felt like it was something that God wanted me to do, but Eric was never 100% sold on it. He thought like most people do that don't know about it, that it was "weird", that homeschooled kids aren't "socialized" and that they basically sit in a room by themselves and become social outcasts...

Well, after doing it for 6 years, I can say that none of that is true...at least for Helayna. I'm sure there are those rare cases where weird things take place, but that happens with kids that go to school too. Helayna thrived while being homeschooled, had tons of friends, went on field trips all the time, participated in science, history and art fairs and got mostly A's. (with a few exceptions, of course!) As the years went on, it became more challenging for both of us. Less kids are homeschooled in the later years and her friends started moving or going to school. We would still attend "park day" once a week where she did PE and hung out with friends, but she was becoming more and more resistant to going. I didn't like to see this in her, since she is normally so social. I started thinking that maybe we needed to find another homeschool group with older kids. But when I researched it, nothing appealed to me.

I talked to friends that had sent their kids to school, friends that were thinking about it, friends who already had kids in school and nothing was ever clear to me. I would change my mind from week to week. When I would ask Helayna if she wanted to go to school, she could never give me a yes or no.

Part of this, I'm sure was due to fear of the unknown and also thinking that I didn't want her to go.

So, about a year or so after I started having these feelings of "should I send her, or shouldn't I?", I got a card in the mail, advertising a new charter "preparatory" school that was opening in the fall. It said on the front "Prep for college, Prep for Life" and that intrigued me.

So, I read on and was intrigued even more. No other school before had ever interested me enough to even find out about it but this one did.

So, I showed it to Eric and Helayna and we went to an information meeting. After listening to the principal talk about the school and their vision, we were hooked instantly. I felt like God told me "This is the place for her!". So, I went for it and told her she could go.

Well, of course, I had second thoughts a day or two later, thinking, what am I doing? I'm letting my daughter go,who I've had home for 6 years...and I don't want her to go!!! I want her home with ME, I want ME to be able to protect and influence her, ME, ME, ME....and then, I realized..........it's not about ME! It's about Helayna...and God told me to let her go...and not just to school...to let her go....and grow up like she needs to. Make her own decisions, mistakes and learn from them. Let her go and explore things a kid needs to explore, let her go and experience life as a teenager (yikes!), let her go and live her God-given destiny. I can't do that for her, she has to do it on her own. Of course, the one thing I can cling to is that we have laid a foundation for her and she can't lose that. She may push it aside, but it will always be there.

Her relationship with God and her relationship with us will always ground her, I hope, and although she may have moments where she will stray, I have to believe she will always come back.

I have to trust that God has a plan for her and she has to find that on her own. I also have to trust that He will protect her and hold her safely in His arms.

This is the only way I have been able to let go of my hold on her. It's a hold that I needed to have when she was younger, but as she has grown, it needed to be let go of. I will still be here for her, whenever she needs me, to guide her, help her, love her and discipline her when needed. And we are still going to have rules, but they will be a little more lenient as she earns trust from us.

She has made us so proud and is becoming exactly the young lady that I always hoped she would be. She is responsible, honest, trustworthy and caring. Of course, she can be a big stinker at times, but it wouldn't be normal if she weren't. She has a great relationship with us, with her sister and with her grandparents, aunts and uncles. She is so mature at times, i forget that she's only 12. But then, get her with her friends and I remember how young she really is...they are so silly! But I love every minute of it. I love seeing her let loose and be crazy silly with them. I never want her to take herself too seriously. But, I do believe she knows the time and place for that.

Helayna has been babysitting for our church functions and has acted very responsible when she has made a commitment. She loves the kids and already has favorites that don't want her to put them down!

She is loving ballet and tap and is even thinking of trying out for the Troupe. She goes to church youth group once a week and will start going into the community to do outreach with them. She wanted to go to Haiti with Eric next year, but now that she's in school, she is bound by their breaks and her spring break is later than the trip so she won't be able to go this time. (which, to be honest, is ok with me!!!)

Gosh, there's so much more I could write....but I will just say that this is a new chapter in our lives and I'm excited to see where it will take us, especially Helayna.

More soon...:)

Love,

Michele

Mia's 2 year adoption anniversary

2008-07-18T13:09:00.000-07:00

Well, today is 2 years since our adoption of Mia became official and I can't believe it.

2 years ago, today, we were in a Vietnam government office, signing papers and swearing to something I couldn't quite understand, but assumed it meant that we would take care of Mia forever and bring her into our family as our own.

Now, 2 years later, it's as if she were always here. I can't even remember our lives without her. The only thing I can remember is a feeling of emptiness and a feeling like there was something missing in our family. Little did I know it was a tiny, 25 lb. ball of energy named Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan!

I still remember the first time I saw her picture on our adoption agency's website 2 1/2 years ago. It was December and the whole adoption process had worn me down. But, my wonderful friend Missy suggested that I look on the website, just to see...and lo and behold...there was my little girl...sucking her thumb and looking at me with those big brown eyes. I knew it right away...and get goosebumps when I think about it. I still get that feeling when I look at that picture.

Then, 7 months later, we were on a plane to Vietnam, not believing what we were actually doing! We had never been out of the country and to be honest, I was quite surprised at how calm I felt about it all. But, now I know it was meant to be all along and God gave me the strength and peace I needed when I needed it.

Our time in Vietnam was wonderful, scary, fun,heartbreaking,HOT,exciting, confusing and a blessing from God, all at the same time. All of us (Eric, Helayna and I) fell in love with the country and the people and definitely plan to go back one day...either to visit or maybe to adopt a little boy?????

The heartbreaking part was spending the day at the orphanage and having to say goodbye to all the kids that were left behind. I remember them blowing me kisses and me, breaking down because I wanted to take them all home.

But the wonderful blessing from God was finally having our family of four together, at last. And although it was a big transition and very tiring at times, it now was like it never happened and Mia has always been in our family.

She is the sweetest, craziest, funniest, most stubborn, smartest,most curious child I know and I thank God for her every single day. She has brought our family so much joy and laughter and I hope that she will know, one day, how much we were missing before she came to us.

I try and explain, in a 4 yr old's language, how she came to be in our family and about the country she left, but for now, I think she just wants to know that we are her mommy, daddy and sister and we love her and will never leave her. The difficult stuff will come later, I'm sure. And although it scares me a little, to have to tell her of a painful past, I know that God will bring us through that too. I have complete faith and confidence in that.

So, on this wonderful day, I am beyond thankful for my family and also for all of you, who have supported us through this crazy thing called adoption. There were times I don't think I could've survived without you all.

Now we're off to eat a Vietnamese meal for dinner!

Happy 2 year adoption day, Mia Kim Elizabeth Schweig!!!

We love you beyond words....

xoxoxo

p.s. Here are some pictures of Mia in her "au doi" from Vietnam. (traditional Vietnamese outift that we actually bought in Vietnam)

7/14/08

2008-07-14T13:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

I thought, since the Haiti blog has been going so well, that I would create one for our family. Since a lot of you live far away, it's a good way for us to keep in touch, let you know what's going on with us and show you pictures and videos.

So, check back often for updates. I think there's a way to sign up to get an email when I post something new, but I'm not sure how to do it yet.

Eric is in Haiti right now, he'll be home this Wednesday. He's been having an amazing time and I can't wait to hear all about everything they've done and experienced and see his pictures and video. I will put some on here when I can.

Things have been pretty calm here since he's been gone.

Helayna was at church camp, so Mia and I were home alone for 3 days. We missed them, but we survived. She's been really good so that's been a blessing. She's been sleeping on a mattress in my room,too. I get lonely, ya know!

Mia had swim class today and is doing so well! Her teacher says that not many kids catch on so fast and can hold their breath for so long! She stays under so long that we start to get worried!

She loves it, though, and is such a little fish! I think she may be on the swim team in the future.

Helayna had a great time at church camp with Parkway. They were gone from Sunday-Friday. They did all kinds of fun and crazy things, like a zip line,canoes, playing bumper soccer, etc...It was a good bonding time for her and her friends, too. They get into small groups after the message and talk about some serious things. It's good for her.

Eric just started a new position at Sprint so he'll be going into the office a couple days a week, unlike the other position where he worked at home most of the time. His office is an hour and 1/2 away, so the gas was killing us but he traded in his Jeep Wrangler for a small car that gets much better gas mileage, so that should help.

As for me, I'm just enjoying having the girls home for the summer and not having too many commitments. With Helayna starting school in the fall for the first time since kindergarten, I'm trying to get used to the idea. it's going to be so different for all of us! Hopefully, it'll be a good experience. I think she's ready and I have to trust that I've given her a good foundation with our homeschooling. i will miss her, though:(

Well, that's it for now...more later.