Marshmallows

We were given some money for Christmas so we bought a handy dandy fire pit. The kids love roasting marshmallows. By the way, I had no idea marshmallow was spelled with an "a." It looks strange. I would think marshmEllow, but no one asked me apparently.

Here are some marshmallow pictures.

Easton wouldn't get it close enough to the fire...
Catherine wasn't fond of the smoke...
They both loved the end result.
And Sophie ran away with the marshmallows.

In adoption news, our Home Study is complete and has been sent to Gladney. We haven't heard from Gladney that they received it yet, but it should be any day. They will turn around and mail a copy of it to CIS (Citizen and Immigration Services), and the word around here is that the Arkansas CIS office takes less than a week to send out the approval once they have the Home Study. The waiting list is coming closer every day.

As you go, here is a picture of our crazy kids in their product RED stuff they got for Christmas. They wouldn't stay still, and Sophie kept trying to get away. Makes for a funny picture though.

More Papers!

We have some good news. It seems as if we haven't abused our children, at least not that the government knows about! Our child abuse clearance letters came in a few days ago. Anne from Gladney sent an email to let us know that they had come in and that our home study could now be completed. Andrea, our home study gal, just has to make copies of it and send it to the appropriate places.

It will go to CIS, and then we have to wait for approval from them. We have just now had to begin to endure the waiting, as we have had paperwork to fill out until recently. It has Erin a little worried that all of this waiting for approval will push our babies court date into the rainy season (AUG-SEP). Ethiopia shuts down EVERYTHING during the rainy season, including the court. If our referral comes to late, it could cause us to have to wait until October before we can pick him up.

Please pray for the final paperwork to come in quickly so we can have our baby home before the rainy season starts.

In non adoption news, Sophia put two words together tonight for the first time. At dinner she said mo caca, meaning more cracker. We thought she would never talk!

Christmas 2007

Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the Kennedy house,
All three little ones put on their new pj's for a picture in front of the tree. (I know, it doesn't rhyme. Don't expect much better throughout the rest of the post. Just enjoy the pictures.)

They put out food for the reindeer on the front porch.

And left cookies for Santa...

At last, it was Christmas morning.

It was the thing he was hoping for, a football uniform.

And Catherine got a...

Front pack for her baby...

And Sophie got her favorite thing in the whole world.Chapstick!

Christmas 2007! They loved every second.


Please continue to pray for Seth Joshua. He is still in Children's Hospital in Little Rock, and it has been a roller coaster of emotion for my brother and sister in law. Pray for recovery and for wise plan of action as the doctors move forward.

Question for Adoption Lurkers...

Do we have to send our Home Study into CIS before we will receive the I-171H?

To all of those non-adoption lurkers out there, that sentence makes zero sense. Those are our two last sheets of paper we need to be finished with the paperwork, and I think one is dependent on the other. If you still don't understand, don't worry about it. It doesn't make much sense to me either at this point!

We got our FBI clearance packets in, and except for my two previous assault charges, everything looked good. One down, two more pieces of paper to go!

Waiting list, here we come...

Kids...

It never ceases to amaze me what kids say. Here are a few of our recent favorites.

We explained to the kids about the changing of the leaves in the winter, how they change colors and fall off. Easton came charging out of the bathroom later that day and announced, "Mom! The poop turned green because it is winter!"

Catherine has a boomy, loud voice that she has a hard time keeping down. Erin took them to Old Navy today, and the store was empty except for a few workers. One of those workers bent over to pick something up, which Catherine noticed and said: "Mommy, she has a BIG hiney!"

We were eating out last week, and the restaurant was mostly empty except for a nice couple sitting one table away. Catherine, once again as loud as possible, announced: "I need a bra for christmas!" We were shocked and didn't know what to say. She then said, "I am a big girl, so I need a BIG bra!"

And lastly, Sophie did something pretty funny today. Erin went in during naptime, and Sophie had stripped down totally naked and had fallen asleep with her "hiney" sticking up in the air. What is worse, Erin didn't wake her up to put her diaper back on, so when she got up from nap time she had wet all over everything!

Thought you would enjoy the stories!

Waiting...

We are waiting on:

1. CIS Approval (I-171-H)
2. Home Study written and approved
3. Criminal background checks

Yes! Only three things, and we can't do anything to speed it up. Two of them involve the government, so you can only guess how that will go.

I am putting updates on our new nephew Seth Joshua on my brothers blog. He had a much better day today, but still needs prayer as it is looking like it might take a while for him to pull through this.

Pray for Seth Joshua

My brother and sister in law had a beautiful baby boy on Friday. However, he has had a rough go over the weekend. Below is my brothers blog entry from today. The link to their site is on the right if you would like more information. Thank you for praying.

From Josh:
Just writing to give you an update on Seth Joshua Kennedy. He was born on 12/7/07 at 9:10pm after an 18 hour labor. When he was born, he was not breathing with an initial apgar of 1 at 1 minute. He was intubated an quickly extubated as he coughed and sputtered when they put the tube down. His 5 minute apgar was 9 (praise the Lord!!!). The neonatologist (who only came as a courtesy... good thing she was there!) told me she had not seen that kind of spread in a long time!!! Long story short, we found out yesterday that Seth has a heart defect- an ASD with pulmonary hypertension to be more precise. Please pray for little Seth. He is under an oxygen hood right now. That makes mommy sad because she is not able to hold him or feed him right now. To make matters more difficult, our OB is sending us home today... without our little baby. That is going to be tough for both Marci and myself. Please pray for our strength and courage as we leave the hospital. Pray for the doctors and nursing staff who are taking care of him at UAMS. They have been WONDERFUL so far. Pray specifically for the cardiologist who will be looking at Seth's echocardiogram (ultrasound of his heart). Pray that he will have a specific plan for what to do. Pray that it will make sense and that God will give his mommy and I peace about what to do. Pray for his healing, but most of all, pray that God's will will be done, and that people will see His light through us. Thanks so much in advance for your prayers!! We will post pictures soon! He is the cutest, most handsome little guy in the world!!!! We love you all!

$4 Setback

One of the many papers we are required to fill out is a criminal background check for the state of Arkansas. We have been waiting for ours to return for 4 weeks now. Gladney recieved them in the mail yesterday, but they hadn't been processed. Seems the fee went from $23 a person to $25 a person, so our check was $4 short. Instead of calling and asking for $4, they mailed everything back FOUR WEEKS LATER!

We are beginning to understand how this process can get frustrating at times...
Our papers have been re-sent and we are waiting again.

CIS and the Fiber Optic Eagle

Big news on the adoption front today. We received our FBI Clearance packet via FedEx and traveled to Fort Smith for our CIS fingerprinting. Our appointment was at 3:00, and we didn't have anyone to watch the kids, so we took all three of them. We had read on other blogs that most people got in and out, so we weren't too worried about it.

Leave it to the Kennedy's to get stuck in there for an hour and a half! We were greeted by the Security guard who was very friendly. He had several grandkids so he was right at home entertaining our three. Easton was memorized by his gun and his stick "that he hits the bad people with." He told us of a great catalog that everything is under twenty dollars. In it, you can find a wonderful porcelain Eagle, wings spread wide, feeding its young, with fiber optic lighting to give it a little extra pizzazz. If you have any interest in ordering one for some one on your list, I did manage to find it online. (sarcasm, unless of course fiber optic eagles are your thing)

The kids were great, thanks to the help of the security guard and a few suckers. They got a Chocolate Mess for their good behavior. We now have to wait for CIS to mail back a form, and that and our home study documents should complete our dossier! Then, we wait for a referral which might take a while...

In other news, the house is now decorated for Christmas. Here are some shots of the kids decorating. We will post some pictures of the rest of the house later this week.

Easton's ornament this year is his favorite shoe, the Chuck Taylor.

Catherine is actually telling "Santa" what she wants for Christmas.
Santa then responded, "That is too many. I can't get that many."

This has nothing to do with Christmas, but a mac n cheese on the nose is always funny.

Shaving for Santa

We had our home study on Tuesday. Andrea from The Gladney Center came and spent all afternoon, asking questions about parenting and family history. My favorite question of all was, what are your wife's strengths and what are her "challenges." I thought that was a pretty creative way to keep me out of trouble!

Between Easton locking himself in his room so he could make his bed up for "the lady" and Catherine telling her that she wanted a "white baby," we passed with flying colors. Seriously, both of those things actually happened. Easton let us in once the room was clean, and Catherine was just a little confused by the question. Andrea was great, and it ended up just being like a conversation with a friend. She said she would have it all written up within the next 30 days, and that may be the last piece of paper we will have to wait on.

On a lighter note, the kids went to see Santa today. Easton came in this morning and said, "Daddy, we are going to see Santa today, so I have to shave." His Lovey got him a toy shaver, and he LOVES to shave with his daddy.

While they waited for Grammy and Auntie Mo to finish shopping, they all made friends with Santa from afar. Sophie was most fond of him, waving and laughing at him. He would wave back and she would laugh.
Unfortunately, she would have preferred that he stayed at a distance, and didn't appreciate being plopped into his lap. Catherine was the caring big sister, as usual, telling Santa what Sophie wanted for Christmas, since she was obviously in no mood to talk. Easton actually spoke this year as well, giving Santa the rundown on his list.

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving

Here are some pictures from our Thanksgiving visit to Hot Springs. We had a great time hanging with our family for a few days.

The first two days were spent with Grammy and Poppa.

Catherine and Easton making Turkey Cookies with Grammy.

With Nanny Moore, 92 and going strong!

Poppa reading a coloring book to Sophie.

Then we headed to Lovey and Poppas for the last part of the week.

The Kennedy Family Christmas Card for 2007

Our Home Study is tomorrow at 1:30. We will update tomorrow night and let everyone know how it goes!

What to type?

Okay...so this is the first time I have sat down at the computer to post on our site. If you couldn't tell Zach has done every one of them. As I sat down I realized that I had no idea what in the world I was going to say. So...I have decided to give my thoughts on a situation going on in our lives right now. I have decided that raising children is probably the hardest yet most rewarding thing I will ever do. I wish all of my children could be happy all of the time. Unfortunately that is not the case. We are currently going through a very difficult time with Catherine...for those of you who do not know her the is the sweetest child in the whole world! She is very quiet and likes to always do what is right and is sooooooo helpful. Unfortunately she is going through a hard time right now. About a year ago she went through a period of time where she went from going to bed with no questions asked at 7:3o to screaming her head off for hours and not staying in her bead. It was awful. She wasn't just being obstinate. she was scared out of her mind and went crazy each night at bedtime. I could never even begin to describe the scene to you. A few know what I am talking about because I called them and held the phone out for them to hear her each night. She was also not herself during the day. She was very easily upset and seemed almost sad (getting to the point, I promise). Anyways... it only lasted about 3 months (Praise the Lord!) and one night it just stopped. She went right to sleep and was back to her old self and never did it again...until a week ago. That's right...it's back!!! I want to jump off a bridge with concrete shoes on. Okay so not really but this is not fun. I know it will not last for ever but I just hate that she is so upset. I wish I could know what would help her. I had coffee with a wonderful lady the other day and she made a statement that I found to be so profound and so true... "A mother can only be as happy as her saddest child." That is how I feel right now. So if their is anyone out their with any advice on this matter I would love to hear it. I know that this to will pass but I am hoping there is something we can come up with to help her through this quicker than last time. I should add that if we let her sleep on her brothers floor then she goes right to sleep. Can I let her do that forever?
Sorry this is so long. You are all probably praying right now that Zach continue to do all of the posts. I promise next time it will be much shorter and to the point!!! Thanks for listening!

Two steps forward, half step back

We reached another important marker in the process today. We received our fingerprint date from CIS. We have to drive to Fort Smith on December 3rd to be fingerprinted. The half step back? Our home study was moved a week. It will now be on Tuesday, November 27th.
The kids have been preparing for "that lady" to come. Like I told you before, they have been keeping their beds made every day.

They wanted me to take a picture of it. Notice the intricate arrangement of the throw pillows!

Pictures and Home Study

We went to Harber Meadows with Lovey and Poppa to take our annual fall pictures. Enjoy!






In other Kennedy news, we got a call from our home study coordinator today. One step of the process involves a case worker visiting your home and doing a 4-5 hour interview. Scary part is, they have to interview every child over three! The twins have to talk to a stranger! They rarely talk to people they see all the time, so this will definitely be a challenge.

She will be coming next Monday afternoon. Things are moving along pretty quickly. We only have a few more forms to turn in to the agency, and we will be done!

Then, we wait for a referral which could take a while.

Childrens Choir Moments

One of the funniest things I have witnessed in a long time... The kids LOVE choir, as you can tell by the video. Enjoy the vocal stylings of Easton and Catherine Kennedy.

Halloween Pictures

Doctors Visits

I went to the doctor for a physical today.
Only two things to say about that.

Cough, Cough.

Erin goes tomorrow. I also went to the bank today to get a letter of recommendation. I bank at a national chain bank, and was informed that they couldn't fill out said letter. They would have to order it. AND, it would cost $10. I argued with them for a while about the absurdity of the whole thing, given that all the letter needed to state was how long we had been with the bank and that we didn't owe them piles of cash. It did no good. I paid the $10. Letter is in the mail.

Paper Trail

We are trudging through paperwork. I have a doctors appointment in the morning to get bloodwork and a "physical" done. Not looking forward to that one very much! Erin is going to pick up the kids doctors reports tomorrow as well, and that should be the last remaining documents for our application. Then it is on to the Dossier. It is a compilation of several documents that must all be notarized and authenticated on a local, state, and national level. There is someone that is going to help with this part, but it still requires a lot of leg work on our part.

Erin gets overwhelmed with all of the papers, so I have been trying to give her a few steps at a time. Lists, she likes lists. Those of you who know her well know of her love for lists.

On the home front, the kids just keep growing up. Catherine and Mommy had a girls day Saturday and got their fingernails painted. At bed time, Catherine asked if we could take it off so she could suck her finger, a habit we are desperately trying to break. Only problem: no finger... no sleep.

Also, we told Catherine and Easton about the Home Study. That a lady would be coming to see if they were big kids and could take care of a new baby. They have been making up their beds every day since that conversation, trying to impress "that lady." I think we are going to milk that one as long as possible.

From Soul Cravings:

Some great words from one of my favorite authors, Erwin McManus:

"...when we stop caring about the lives and conditions of others, we lose a part of ourselves. God created us for progress. His intention for us was always that we would be conduits of good. We can insulate ourselves from the problems of the world, but in doing so, we become less than human. When we give ourselves to create a better future, when we choose to become instruments of change, when we refuse to accept the status quo and commit to make the world a better place, something resonates within us. It is beyond reason. It is something far deeper than that. Somehow we know that this is right. It satisfies something deep within you. It’s as if your soul has been craving and you didn’t know for what. And there it was. Your soul was starving for hope – not just to have it, but to give it.
To be a follower of Christ is to believe that everyone’s life can be different. No one is defined by the status of birth. Our destiny is not limited to our pedigree. Every human being is of equal value to God. No one must remain a prisoner of fate."
(mcmanus - soul cravings)

Thanks to my Dad for passing that along.

Our Journey Begins

After much prayer and soul searching, we have decided to adopt. Yes, you read right. The Kennedy clan is growing! Today we mailed in the application to adopt a child from Ethiopia through The Gladney Center for Adoption.

How did we come to this decision? Lots of things factored in, but the bottom line is that we know beyond a doubt that this is what God wants for our family. God has put the world on our hearts and we believe that this is not just a decision to adopt a child, but to adopt a country.

When will we have our new little one? We are hoping that we will be traveling to Ethiopia within 8-9 months. We are going to request a boy between 1-7 months. In the meantime, we have a lot of paperwork to get in order. It is quite a process, but the staff at Gladney have been very helpful.

Please begin to pray for our son, as he is probably already in his mother's womb. Pray for his protection from any disease, for his mother as she makes an extremely difficult decision, and for the workers at the orphanage where he will spend the first few months of his life. Pray for Erin, as she prepares her heart to receive another child. Four children is a huge responsibility, and if you know Erin, you know she is certainly the best woman for the job. Pray for the country of Ethiopia, that God will prevent any political unrest that would bar us from proceeding with the adoption.

Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this:
to look after orphans and widows in their distress
and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
James 1:27 (The Message)

I dare to believe that the luckless will get lucky someday in you.
You won't let them down:
orphans won't be orphans forever.
Psalm 10:14 (The Message)