Nine months, a family of 3

Sorry to any and all who expected a month by month update....such is the life of the second child.  No idea why my blog even crossed my mind tonight.  Maybe these two, sitting side by side, no room for me, watching a movie, writing on their clipboards and asking each other how to write "d's" and "t's." How life has changed in 9 months.  It took several months for any sort of normalcy to come about.  In the beginning it was extremely frustrating.   Mostly I was frustrated with M.  I mean this is what we had waited for for so long, right?  Every minute of the day was trying for a bit of time.  Then I realized that M had never had to compete for the morning hug, the toilet, the sink for brushing teeth and making it down the stairs with no race (this morning they walked down hand in hand.)  Now everything seemed to be a race or competition.  After a bit of empathy set in for me, things shifted.

We are currently 5+ months into kindergarten!  I am 5+ months into teaching at a new school that is in most ways TOTALLY different from my old school.  It's been a good year though, mostly.

Today C told me she was sad about summer coming!  Ha!  She was intrigued by walking out onto the ice on our neighborhood lake, to the island in the middle.  I took pictures so come this summer they could recall the fact that they had been out there!

These two are so very precious to me!  One has been my baby for more than 3 years.....well, 4 years since he has been in my arms.  The other has been in my heart and in my arms for just over a year and a half.  With all of the adoption preparation there

is really no preparing for all of the feelings that come along with it.  What a gift though, to me.  Always to me.  M and C are not the "lucky" or "blessed" ones and to anyone who continues to think so, give me a break.  Any given day I could write a novel. For tonight I just wanted to post a couple of crazy adorable pictures and continue watching "Zootopia" with them.  I am so very lucky, so very blessed.

VISA!!!!!

Over the past weeks lots of movement occurred and I have failed to blog!  The adoption was approved by US immigration a couple of weeks ago now, Miss C went off on three big trips to Port-au-Prince concerning her VISA and now she has a VISA!  We plan to travel at the end of the month to go get her!  This timing will allow me to not go back to school until next year!  We will have a nice long summer to bond, attach, adjust, etc.

As a friend messaged me last night, "I hope LOTS of people will give 20 or 30 dollars!"  Asking for money throughout this process has not been my favorite thing.  It is a way though for others to care for the orphans of the world so I feel it important to keep asking even though it's hard.  If you look to the left of this post there is a donate button.  That button is in fact linked to my Lifesong for Orphans account.  Donations below 50 are tax deductible IF you make a note to them that you want a receipt.  Donations over 50 will automatically get a receipt!

I will post about travel dates soon!!!!!!!  Thanks for all of your prayers and support!!!!

Who God Used....

So there is this boy.  The boy who I have not ever shared too much about in the internet world.  I still won't.  But he exists.  He is 6.  He is in Haiti.  He is with family.

Before he got his family back (two years ago yesterday!) he was at an orphanage.  I saw a picture.  He captured my heart.  I inquired about him.  Of course all laws and such have changed....multiple times since I first learned of him.  He will forever be my heart child.

In August of 2012 things were not in order for him to be adopted.  I was asked to consider a new referral.  I would not say no to him, but I did take a new referral!  Without this boy, without hearing form the Lord that I was to adopt 2, I would not have my Mack.  I went forward with the referral of Mack.  Months later I was told I could move forward with my second adoption for the other boy.  Laws kept changing, things could get tricky, but I moved forward in faith, knowing God was calling me to 2.

Two years ago today, that boy was picked up by his mom and his dad!  The world around me who knew of him thought I would be devastated.  I was not devastated!  I had longed and yearned and prayed for a family for him.  I thought that family would be me but God used me to reunite him with his birth family and I am honored to have been a small piece of that puzzle.

I was told I would be given time to get over the loss and such but I just deeply felt that there was not time.  Everything takes SO long anyways.  A month before this boy left the orphanage, a little girl arrived.  A year and a half later I was presented with her referral!  This boy is a part of the story in me becoming mama to both of my precious children!  I may never know what has become of him, or where he is, or what life is like for him but I think of him often and will pray for him forever!

Two years ago he went home with his family.  Two years later on the very same date I get news of a passport for Clara!  I enjoy seeing God in those little details!  They are important and special to me!  Hope to be letting you know within the next two months that Mack and I are Haiti bound to get our precious Clara!

PASSPORT!

WE HAVE A PASSPORT!!!!  That is all!  Thank you Jesus!  We are nearing the end of this chapter, gearing up for the next chapter....mothering a daughter, sister having a brother, brother having a sister...only child becoming NOT that anymore.  Pray for the day between now and when this all begins!  Clara's countdown to leaving Haiti and Mack and my countdown to life as it is with the two of us to 3 of us!

The Last Until.....

All I have to write seemed better suited for a blog post rather that an FB post.

Lately (over the past month) I have been in complete AWE over the lasts or the "next times" that we are going through and taking Mack through them with me!

"Buddy, this is the last Christmas without Clara!  She will be here next Christmas!"

"Next time we pick out a tree, Clara will be with us."

"Next time you open your stocking, your sister will be opening her's too!"

As I have been in the process of taking the tree down (it's still up), I keep thinking, "Wow, next time I do this Clara will be sitting here watching too."

"Next time I hide these silly elves I will be hiding 2."

There are times Mack and I are sitting on our chair and a half, snuggling that I ask him, "Can you imagine another person being here?"  He says, "Who? My sister?"  "Yes," I respond!  I ask him where she will sit and he always points right beside him.  He says they will never fight, they will always play and they will be best friends forever!

With the EXTREME excitement and hope and anticipation I have, there is of course a bit of grieving because as I bathe Mack, sing to Mack, read to him, watch his favorite shows and tuck him in, lying there until I am sure he is asleep, I can hardly imagine what this will be like with two.  I think at times harder and many times it will also be easier.  I worry over his heart and what he will go through after having me ALL to himself and now making room for his sister that he has desired to have home as fiercely as I have.

He keeps telling me, "Mommy!  Guess what?  It's almost Jesus' birthday!"

I tell him, "Buddy, first it has to be Martin Luther King day, then Valentine's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, summer, 4th of July, your birthday and OH WAIT, your sister will come home somewhere in here and you and I will both go to Haiti!!!!! and then you will go to kindergarten, dress up for Halloween, Thanksgiving and YES, then buddy, we can hide your beloved Chippy the Elf again, decorate the house, pick out a tree and then it will be Jesus' Birthday, then it will be Christmas!

In Less then two months I have to choose a kindergarten!  Pray for me!  Pray for us!  I plan to apply to a private Christian school but am also praying over the schools in our area that are Minneapolis Public Schools.  I will make some visits.  I also need prayer over ME and where I shall work next year!!!!!!!  Only God knows!  Hopefully VERY SOON you will be hearing from me again, letting you know that my Clara has a passport!!!!!!  Keep praying and thank you all for your financial and prayer support!!!!!

LOVE from Jenny, Mack and Clara

Could she be home in March???

Happy New Year's EVE!  This is going to be my LAST call for giving towards adoption!  Feels pretty great actually to say that!  I just went online to hypothetically books flights and I believe we're looking at close to $3000 for our ending travel.  Plus we need to pay per night to stay at GLA and also pay for transportation in Haiti.

Within the coming weeks we should hear that her passport has been printed!  It could take two months or so after that for her VISA to be ready.  This means we should be going to get her late winter or early spring!!!!

If you would like to give towards the final costs of this adoption process you can click the button on the upper left side of the screen and that gives you a paypal option.  Thank you so much un advance!!!!

Please pray for our family!  I am in prayer over the best school for kindergarten for these two Kraft kiddos next fall as well as where I should teach, be it their school or ?????

I am also in prayer over what the time should look like after she comes home and until I am done teaching.  Ideally, there would be as little time where she would be outside of my care as possible.  If she came home April 20 then I would need no care between getting her and summer.....if she came home a month before that, March 20, then I would look for family/friends to watch the two of them in our home for the last month of school, giving them lots of time to bond as brother and sister, rather than being in a school setting.  So keep this in prayer for us!  Obviously I am not in control of the WHEN, but God knows all of these little details and the time that we are given to go get her will be perfect.  Have a blessed last day of 2015 and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Adoption Time Line

Dossier to Haiti - May 2013

Dossier submitted to IBESR - November 2013

Referral - July 2015

Socialization Trip - July 2015

Exit IBESR - September 25, 2015

Adoption Decree/Exit Courts - November 2, 2015

Enter MOI - THANKSGIVING DAY 2015

Passport printing - yet to come

I600 Approval - yet to come

VISA - Yet to come

Travel to bring her home - COMING IN 2016!!!!!