When one thing ends, another begins...

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

Is it Fall Yet?

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

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

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

Fall 2010

Late Summer, Fall 2010

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