Weblog

Monday, 22 September 2008

  • Happy is the man!(woman)

    The bible says that happy is the man whose heart is set on the Lord!   Well I find that I have been more of a retriever then a sitter.  I will give all things to the Lord in a big grandiose manner,  then when life goes on a usual I go back after my stuff!  It's mine and I want to keep it.  So joy is short lived.  I am such a grump.  I have nothing to be a grump over just a grump.

    Now for the real stuff.  Loudnie has been home 6 months on the 4th of October.   Can you believe it.  She is doing wonderful.  She is now in public school.  She is a first grader.  Her english is wonderful.  The problems she is having in school are the ones we expected.  Objects that she doesn't know the translation for,  customs that are not known to her.  She loves school.  She has a best friend that also goes to our church.  Her teacher goes to the same church as we do.  She has all her immunizations caught up.  She is a creature of habit.  As long as there aren't to many changes it is smooth sailing.   However if you give her something that she doesn't want to do, or cloths she doesn't want to wear, or a hair style that she doesn't like WELL watch out.  She is 7 years old and has a pout that you wouldn't believe.  She just don't understand that she is not the first stubborn child(girl at that) that we have raised.  She would like it if you would just spank her and get it over with.  Not going to happen.   Writing words, wearing the same cloths everyday, not getting to watch tv.   These are all such handy tools.  She never hold a grudge when she has to be corrected.  She really has a sweet spirit.  She does however think she can just smile and get her own way.  She does miss Haiti and her family and friends there.  She prays for them every night. 

    It is really different raising a child when the parents are (let me say ) a bit older.    I get tired and so does her dad.   But God has been so good to us.  He gives us strength when we think we just don't have any more to give. 

    So my task for this week to be that woman whose heart is stayed on the Lord.  Kind of like what I say to the kids.  Because I say so!!!!!

    Maybe it won't be so long before I post again. 

Friday, 09 May 2008

  • I am Dora!

    Everyday is a new beginning.  New things to see, feel, touch and even taste.  This week Miss Loudnie has decided to no longer be Anise or Loudnie she is not Dora.  She is not black in color.  She is now brown(very light brown) .  Oh and we say a book in the dentist office this week with a picture of Dora's mom in it.  I am now brown too.  We have to cut the Dora stuff during school time because Dora tends to disrupt the learning (I really thought Dora was better behaved then that). 

    So many things through her eyes are so funny not just to us but even to her.  She laughs alot.  This week I had to take the dog(aka: Sissy) to the vet.  We(Loudnie, I and Sissy) get into the office and the Vet has a huge tank with all kinds of little fish.  Loudnie stared and looked and went for a closer look.  She turned to me and ask.  MOM CAN I EAT THEM?  Watch your fish when she is around.  They look like food to her. 

    Mandy, Patty and Loudnie went mother's day shopping today.  She has told me about 5 times since I got home not to look in her bedroom.  I won't I am not Ralph you know!!!

    Everytime we sit down to practice her address she tells me NO!  Everytime I have to tell her that she has to learn it.  Everytime she cries.  Our address is kind of long.  But in one month she has learned so much.  There are days that she speaks more english then she does creole.  She is reading some already.  Her math is very good.  I think I have said this before I AM NOT A FULL TIME CALLED BY GOD TEACHER.  It is bad to have a good student with a bad teacher.  May I say thank you , thank you to all the wonderful teachers out there.  May God bless you over and over again for the gift that you give to children everyday. 

    Well I wanted to let you know that things are going well.  Sorry there are no pictures.  I have plenty something is going on with my computer and I can't get my card on my camara to download.  I will post pictures later. 

    May God bless and keep you make His light to shine upon you and give you peace.

    Sharel

Friday, 02 May 2008

  • It is official

    Today in the mail we received Loudnie's official Citizenship papers from US immigration.  WOW that was quick. 

    She has been home 1 mo.  I am homeschooling her.  I want to say "I AM NOT A TEACHER"  Our hope is that she will be ready for public school in the fall.  She is very bright and is learning english quickly.  She is still very clingy and needs lots of assurance that this is forever.  However she is looking forward to the time we can go back and visit Haiti.  I had grandparents day at Elijah's school in Elwood today.  She went with me of course.  This was her first trip to an americian school.  She was all eyes for awhile then she wanted to go home.  She gets overloaded very quick and shuts down.  She tends to forget that she has a boss these days.  If one of the boys(our 5 grandsons) say's lets do this she thinks that is ok.   She doesn't remember that she doesn't always know her way around or how to get out of what they might get her into.  HEAD STRONG to say the least.  That is God's design in her though.  If she was not a stubborn kid she would have never made it in Haiti for 2 years without a mama. 

    We are all ready for warm weather to set in and stay.  I have to carry extra jackets, sweatshirts, and blankets all the time.  Loudnie does not like this weather at all. 

    Ralph and I had a evening out with some really close friends of ours last Saturday.  Loudnie went with Mandy, Shane and the boys to Shane's parents house for the evening.  about two hours and she was done and wanted to come back home with us.  This all takes lots of prayer, patients and enduring love.  God gave us plenty of thime and reasons to trust him.  He has shown himself to Loudnie in very real ways also .   She knows how God works in her life and in ours.  She prays daily for her sister, and her papa in Haiti.  She has a heart to serve and love others.  She very mature in her belief in Jesus. 

    God is the beginning and the ending of my faith.  He makes we stretch when I don't think I can be stretched.  He takes me places that just don't make sence to me.  He doesn't let me settle for I can't.  " Trust in the Lord always and lean not unto my own understanding and in all his ways He will direct my path".  AMEN!!!!!!!!

Monday, 21 April 2008

  • Do You not know??

    This morning as I write this most everyone is in bed still.  It is 6:00 a.m.  After my time in the word and some time writing and praying I want to share this verse with you all. 

    Isaiah 40: 28-31  DO YOU NOT KNOW?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary and his understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall:  but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles:  they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. 

    So where does that put me?  At the very beginning of new and uncharted waters.  It is wonderful to be on the other end of an overseas adoption.  It is soooooooooooooooooo much easier then the waiting.  However the task ahead is no less daunting.   I am home schooling Loudnie at least through the summer.  I think it will help her be prepared for public school in the fall.  Her language is coming along.  She is really a smart little one.  In about 17 days her vocabulary and understanding has gone from 0 to about 75 words.  These are words that she uses everyday too.  She has learned to ride her bickle(thanks to her papa). It is amazing how she has blended with the rest of our family and extended family.  She still is getting over load and hides her face in large numbers of people. She loves her baths.  She would take a bath 3 or 4 times a day.   I think it is the warm water.  She is so cold most of the time.  We have our first doctors visit this week and next week is the dentist.  Those will be lots of fun

    We got her social security # last week and had our will changed to make provision for her if we don't survive this.  So as you can see we have been really busy since she came home.  She is so wonderful she prays for her papa in Haiti, for her sister Madyson and her new family.  She prays for her friends in Haiti and for the work there that brought her here.  For the people who have touched her little life(Licia,Lori,Charles, Henley,Trey,Carmelo,Enoch ,Zach and even Miss Barbara) She counts her blessings and doesn't even know she is.  God has renew my strength today.  He lives in me and walks in the lives of many around me.  He is my sheild and my fortress.  He gives em increased power.  Today , right now He is my Lord and Savior.  That is cause to shout(I won't everyone is still asleep why ruin a good thing) Thank you Lord for you gifts of Your abondent Love.

    May the peace of God rest on you my friends and family today.

Monday, 14 April 2008

  • And Baby Makes 13?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    What can I say!!!!  Let's see PRAISE GOD! SHE IS WORTH THE WAIT! BOY AM I TIRED!

    SHE LOOKS MORE LIKE ME THEN HER DAD?  THIS IS SO MUCH FUN!!!!  I could go on forever.  As you can see by the pictures she is wonderful.  We are having so much fun exploring new things with Loudnie.  She laughs, cries, giggles and praises God.   We had our first church outing yesterday.  She was a little in overload.  By the time we went home she was hiding her face alot.  Couple of really cute things.  First one was, we were talking with our music minister and he was telling her how glad we all were to have her home and at our church.  She turned around and looked at me and said in Creole mama he doesn't speak Creole.   Later Sunday evening we went back to church for kids church and had a hot dog after with everyone.  A friend came over to meet her and talk with her.  Our friend knows some french so she was trying to communicate with Miss Loudnie again she turns to me and says Mama that is french not Creole!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I thought it sounded pretty good.  Loudnie is picking up lots of new words and is very excited when she gets them right.  Almost as excited as I am when I get some Creole phrases right.  She laughs at me and is good to correct me until I get it right. 

    Well I hape you enjoy the pictures and thanks once again to all who have prayed on our behalf and please forgive me when my faith has been on the edge.  I know that I have been short and on a sorry for me road.  God has done all and more that he has promised.  I again say a big thanks to my wonderful sister-in-law Lori for all her help and support.  TO Barb Walker for going above and beyound to get this little one home.

    To my girls Mandy and Patty for being so good about the mother going over the edge and having to watch.  To my other family for picking up where I just didn't have the heart to go.  To my church family and work family for all of the prayers and support

    To the most wonderful husband in the world for having the guts to follow God in a direction that scared us both to death.  (I love a good leader) .  To my dear friends Licia and Lori for hearing Gods call and doing the hard thing to live and breath Gods call everyday of their lives in Haiti.  And Most of  all to God himself for the way he can use a broken and worn vessel who can not imagin why, but just wants to serve where he leads.  

    Thanks to all.

    Where He leads I will follow!