Mama found a grungy wall!

I just love the pictures of families that many photographers do where they are standing in front of really cool looking walls. So I am driving down the road about five miles from my house and find this wall. I couldn't think of anything else for the next week except dressing up my kids to coordinate with the wall and going there to take pictures.

Today was the day! I actually ironed their jeans and bribed them with the lure of the dollar store if they took nice pictures in front of the wall mommy found...

They did pretty good!

Please cover Jenni in your prayers

I have been following the blog of Jenni (The Comfy Place) for a few years now. She started her blog showing her beautiful crafts and scrapbooking and then she was diagnosed with cancer. She has battled it bravely but the doctors predict she will be called home in the next day or so.

Jenni, you fought such a courageous battle and have suffered so much pain. You have reminded me of what is important in life. In the end, cancer may have defeated you but not before you touched the lives of so many and made a difference in this world. I can't imagine the joy you will have dancing without pain and watching over your beautiful children.

May God Bless you and be with you.

2 Corinthians 4:16-15:8
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.Now we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now it is God who has made us for this very purpose and has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. We live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

The moment I met him...

I was so nervous the few minutes before I met Kwame. After all these months of knowing he was my son and not really knowing him, I was finally about to meet him.

It was really weird for me to be the third one in the family to meet him. Usually it is the mom that carries the baby and gets to know him or her before giving birth. With Selina, I spent a month with her in Africa and got to know her before bringing her home. This time, TR and Kman met and got to know Kwame for a week before I met him. I was excited for them and the bond that the boys in the family shared for having that experience but it was just so unnatural that I did not know Kwame first.

I think I got nervous right before meeting him because he is older. I looked in my closet and could not decide what to wear to meet my new son. I wanted to be comfortable but not too casual. I had on black capris and a mostly black top at first but decided that might be a little too much black and kind of satanic for meeting a child to wear so much black. At the last minute, I put on my jean capris with the black shirt because they were comfy and I realized that I will remember what I wear more than Kwame probably. I laughed at myself for trying on three different things and wishing I had painted my tootsies as my polish was coming off.

So we made it to the airport on time which was an accomplishment considering I felt it necessary to have the van washed really good on the way so he wouldn't learn it usually looks like we live in it for at least a few days! Since we arrived early, we actually had a few minutes to spare before the boys landed.

I think Cater was nervous too and wanted to make a good impression as she was being especially helpful with Selina and was watching down the corridor saying, "I think they are coming everytime anyone headed our way!"


I could only see feet and the bottoms of legs initially but when I saw the little brightly patterned Ghana pants, I knew the time was finally here.


I immediately started crying which I told myself not to do many times over the previous few days as I did not want to scare him by crying right away. Oh well, welcome to your world little man, mom cries easily!!LOL


Kwame was so sweet as he immediately ran up and gave me a hug! There is discussion that goes on in the adoption world about if you love your adopted child right away or if it takes time. For some it does take time and so there is a term that is used "fake it until you make it" about how if those feelings are not there, you fake it because eventually as time goes on, you will love your child.

I feel fortunate because that did not happen with either of my children. I loved Kwame from the moment I saw him and once we got the referral for him, I loved him even more. When the courts declared he was our son, I loved him like I did my other children. For me, the difference was that I did not know why I loved him. I didn't know yet what personality traits and things about him, I would love the most but I was excited to find out.

So here he was, this amazing child that just traveled for nineteen hours and he was really here and was hugging us. Kwame was a little quiet for a few seconds and then started asking for his sister Selina. He heard her name around the adoption center quite a bit before coming home as she is from there also, so he was excited to meet her!



The kids spent a few moments talking before Selina decided to have a huge tantrum on the ground right there (something about wanting her shoes off or something like that!) I think she was a little overwhelmed. Bless Kwame as he immediately tried to help his new sister! She decided to continue to be upset right through our first family picture at the top of this post (which is why she is not looking at the camera- she refused!)

Thankfully every thing looked better from atop her brothers shoulders so we made it out of there without further incident!


So there you have it, I loved our little man from the moment I met him. He is sweet and sensitive yet loud and passionate at times. He LOVES soccer and riding his bike! He loves his mom and likes to argue with Selina about how I am his mom and not her mom which is all fun and games unless one of them is tired!

As we walked out of the airport last Friday as a family of six, I am sure the witnesses thought to themselves that we have our hands full! I am blessed though because we do and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Kwame is home!!

The boys arrived home on Friday. It was so wonderful to have Kwame run up and give me a hug right away. He is such a sweet boy. I will share more about his homecoming and the boys time in Africa in the weeks to come but I wanted to share pictures and let you know that it is going very well over here. We are transitioning but it is going better than expected. Kwame fits in perfectly. We are blessed he is our son...

Coming Home!!!

TR, Kman and Kwame are on their way home! I am so excited I am finally less than 12 hours away from meeting my son! While I am so happy for me, I am prayerful that Kwame is doing alright. I can't imagine how exciting yet scary all this is for him right now as he gets further and further away from all that is familiar to him and gets closer to a different life with his new family. I pray that God will be with him and will help comfort him as he makes this transition.

A Good Time at the Coast

I actually got to speak to TR for about half an hour this morning.

They are doing well. They are in Cape Coast now.

Today they made it to one of two of the slave castles and the Kakum National Park. I wanted you to get a feel for Kakum National Park.

Here is a description...
Located in Kakum National Park in the West African country of Ghana, Africa's only canopy walkway is suspended 100 feet above the ground, offering you what is truly a bird's eye view of the rainforest. At this height, you don't have to be an expert to identify the colorful patterns of tropical birds as they glide through the forest below you.

You don't even have to climb to get onto the walkway. It starts at ground level, and as you walk along, the land below you slopes into a valley, and you find yourself twelve stories up in the forest canopy. The horseshoe-like pattern of bridges — made of steel cable, netting, and narrow wooden planks — are connected by tree platforms that serve as observation points for viewing the rainforest. You circle back to complete your tour on level ground.

Here is a video of it. TR and Kman did fine. Kwame was a little scared but made it across the seven bridges.



It was awesome as I was able to hear the boys laughing and playing in the background the entire time TR and I were on the phone. TR says they are getting along well and having a blast!

They all are doing well except TR has a slight stomach ache. That also happened to me and a few days of Imodium helped so he is hoping it is the same for him!

He leaves the Coast in the morning and heads back to Accra. In Accra, He will get to hang out with J and his dad, Jason. He is very excited about getting to see them. They hope to go to the Art Market together and maybe some swimming!

TR and the boys leave to come home in a few days so their trip is winding down.

He is still spending the rest of his donation monies and has given most if not all of his supplies away. As it turned out, he did not get to make all the trips he planned and get all the things he wanted to get done but we are super happy with what he has accomplished there. Most of all, the boys are all getting to know each other and are enjoying themselves.

TR described Kwame as curious, inquisitive, talkative, adventurous and respectful. He is eating and sleeping well and when TR has to correct him on something, he is doing well with it. I was concerned he might get really upset to be corrected and might be really sensitive to it but TR says he is doing really well so far. We are so blessed! I can't wait to get them all home as the girls and I are so excited to meet him! Thankfully only a few more days in which I have tons to do!!!

A Great Day in Ghana...

TR and the boys had a great day in Ghana!
First of all, my Kman turned 10 today in Ghana! Happy Birthday to my wonderful son. I am so proud of you for who you are and all you accomplish...


They started off going to Tema for church mass at Our Lady of Mercy which was the last place that my great uncle, Fr. Fran, served. TR said it was really great because the priest there knew my great uncle as did several of the parishners. At the church mass, they prayed for Kwame and for Kman (since it was his bday!).

Tema is a neighboring city to where our adoption center is. I always loved driving there or through there as the road to Tema is lined with the ocean and it is beautiful.. The day I took pictures of the drive, it was rainy...



After church, TR decided he wanted to take the boys to La Palm which is a really nice hotel. I don't know if the president stayed there or at the hotel just as nice next door to La Palm but in Ghana, it is of that caliber.
La Palm has many nice pools and restaurants, a little ice cream shop etc. I stayed there for three nights with Selina and loved my time there.

So TR tells the driver, "La Palm" but instead was taken to "La Beach" which is a touristy beach. He decided they would stay there and said they had a blast. He decided to wanted to take the boys to La Palm for dinner but I sounds like someone came up to Kwame and before TR knew it, Kwame had ordered dinner! I am laughing as I picture someone talking to Kwame in his native language and the next thing is dinner being served as TR tries to figure out how that happened! So he said their dinner was good and they still made it to La Palm for some ice cream before heading back to their much cheaper guest house for the night.

Here is a short video from You Tube of the beach that I believe they were at..


So it sounds like the boys are doing great together! TR said the boys have even gotten in trouble together which I find totally adorable!

Tomorrow they are headed to Cape Coast for two days of sight seeing and fun! Their trip includes the following...

They are staying at a hotel that looks fun

They plan to visit Kakun National Park which features rope bridges going across the rainforest. Here is my friend Molly who went to Ghana with me last summer on a bridge..


and Elmina and Cape Coast Castles. I also visited these slave castles. It is so hard to hear about how Africans were treated during this dark part of our history. You read about it in school and hear but to see the actual rooms that men and women were in was hard. I have included my pictures from these castles below.


I am glad the boys are headed to the coast. Through the contacts and groups I am involved with regarding our adoption, I have met an American woman who lives in Ghana about half of the year and runs a non profit helping send students to school. She lives on the coast and has helped TR plan his trip to get there. It has been so helpful to have that contact and I am excited the boys will get to meet Kathryn as she seems like a wonderful woman!

So that is today's adventure and what is planned for the next few days!!