Remembering Our {Adoption} Adventure - part 10

For the next few weeks, I will be blogging about our adoption journey to Uganda & beyond!  The Lord took us on a sweet adventure to become a family of 3.  We were in Uganda adopting Walker for about 3 weeks.  There were ups & downs.  Highs & lows.  Joys & triumphs.

My husband & I chronicled our adventures on a private Facebook group we created to keep friends & family up to date on all the latest happenings.

This is a re-cap & remembering of our journey ONE YEAR ago!!!!

***I AM PLAYING CATCH-UP RIGHT NOW, SO THERE WILL BE SEVERAL POSTS UNTIL I GET CAUGHT UP.  ONE OF MY SISTERS IS IN THE HOSPITAL, SO I'VE BEEN SPENDING LOTS OF TIME IN THE CAR & THE HOSPITAL ROOM.***

All dressed up for court!

Off to court we go!

May 28, 2012

Thank you all for your prayers. Today was court. We were hoping that the judge would make his ruling this afternoon, but instead he has asked us to come back tomorrow morning at 9am. Our lawyer feels confident that he’ll make a positive ruling, but of course, we won’t know until we get the paperwork tomorrow. After the ruling (& assuming that it is positive), we will head to the baby’s home to say good-bye to the "Momma" who has been WJ's primary caretaker. Then we will make the 5-ish hour drive to Kampala, & we will be staying with Sarah, my sister in law’s mother {my SIL is Ugandan.} We will be SO glad to be back in Kampala and to be with family. Our next step is to work on the visa & passport. We are hoping to have our passports by week’s end so that we can get the ball rolling on our visa. We are thinking that a very best case scenario (no delays) we would be able to leave the end of next week (June 8.) This would put us right at about the 3 ½ week mark, & this would be FABULOUS! I vowed not to say this, but we are ready to come home. It is harder to parent & discipline & establish a routine here than I expected. The food was fun & different & tolerable for the first week & a half, but now it is getting old eating out at every meal & either eating the same things or trying something new & funk-i-fied. I have eaten almost NO meat since we’ve been here; driving through towns/villages & seeing hunks of raw meat just hanging from the doorway has cured me of that. I just wonder where the meat came from, exactly what meat it is, & how it has been preserved & prepared. I stick to beans & rice, cheese pizza, g-nut sauce (boiled peanuts), chappatti, & fruits. I am not brave enough to try goat on a stick (I’ve heard horror stories). Oddly enough, I do love sleeping under the mosquito netting; somehow, it’s kind of neat to be enclosed in the netting. It’s not really all that bad here, I just miss the comforts of home……….. like non-parasitic water & good water pressure. I also would really love a tall, decaf, non-fat 2 pump White Choc mocha from Starbucks, AND a giant hamburger with Cool Ranch doritos! I very rarely drink soft drinks at home, but I am having one at lunch almost every day, & I must say that they are delicious! I will miss those!!! I do think that once we get to Sarah in Kampala that we’ll feel a little more at home, & that we’ll really enjoy our time there.

WJ seems to be bonding & attaching with us very well. He does get easily overstimulated, & then acts out the next few hours & sometimes on into the next day BUT I don’t think that’s all that unusual for even biological kids. Overall, he is a happy child, & he loves his Mommy & Daddy.

Today after nap time (Mommy’s not WJ’s), Scott was giving WJ some cookies & just talking to him. WJ was being very silly, & so Scott told him, “You are a ham.” WJ proceeded to repeat that phrase over & over while we laughed hysterically. He really loves being the center of attention, so he’ll definitely put on an adorable show for family when we get home. :) He has also started to like ordering spaghetti at meal times. The spaghetti tastes different at every place we go, & it doesn’t taste like anything we are accustomed to ---- it often has an Oriental taste to it. Weird! But the baby likes it most of the time. We were also thankful to get back the original photo book we sent to WJ at the baby home, & after naps today Scott went over the book with WJ telling him who was who & asking him to repeat who it was. Jajja & Granddaddy. Nana & Pawpaw. Aunts & uncles. Also, tonight he talked on the phone to MoMo {his cousin who was also born in Uganda.} It was very sweet!

Remembering Our {Adoption} Adventure - part 9

For the next few weeks, I will be blogging about our adoption journey to Uganda & beyond!  The Lord took us on a sweet adventure to become a family of 3.  We were in Uganda adopting Walker for about 3 weeks.  There were ups & downs.  Highs & lows.  Joys & triumphs.

My husband & I chronicled our adventures on a private Facebook group we created to keep friends & family up to date on all the latest happenings.

This is a re-cap & remembering of our journey ONE YEAR ago!!!!

***I AM PLAYING CATCH-UP RIGHT NOW, SO THERE WILL BE SEVERAL POSTS UNTIL I GET CAUGHT UP.  ONE OF MY SISTERS IS IN THE HOSPITAL, SO I'VE BEEN SPENDING LOTS OF TIME IN THE CAR & THE HOSPITAL ROOM.***

May 27, 2012

The safari today was EXCELLENT! We loved it & got lots of pictures! We woke up bright & early to see the animals active & awake before it got too hot in the day. We first went driving through the savannah, & we were told to be on the lookout for the Big Four: elephants, hippos, lions, & leopards. I’d say our day was a huge success b/c we saw 3 out of the 4. I wish we had seen a leopard, but our up close experience with the elephant, hippos, & lions far outweighed not seeing a leopard. 

We saw lots & lots & lots of elephants. WJ got very good at saying “ele-fant.” I think these were his favorite animal b/c he perked up the most with them. There were elephants everywhere. When we were on the boat, we got very close to one who was taking a drink from his trunk. It was so cool. At one point, I thought he was going to spray us; he sprayed a cautionary stream of water our way, but he never did more than that. I was hoping for a little shower from the elephant. Later on, we got up close to an elephant (still on the boat) & he stomped his foot & let out a very loud elephant noise (don’t know the technical term for it.) It was amazing! While driving, we saw elephants fighting, & we could hear their tusks hitting each other. It was awesome!

We saw 3 lions while our guide was driving around with us. The first 2 were at a LONG distance off, & we had to use binoculars to see them. A little later on, we got to see a female lion almost snag a Ugandan kob (type of antelope) for a mid-morning snack. She was crouched & ready to pounce, but I think we threw her off her game. I guess we’ll just have to rely on National Geographic to see that kind of action! Safari etiquette dictates that you should NOT go off the trail. In fact, if you do & you are caught, you must pay a fine of $150. Fortunately for us, our guide was brave enough to try it AND we didn’t get caught. He directed our driver to drive right up to the 2 lions we had seen earlier. We got within about 10 feet of the massive, beautiful creatures. They just laid there & looked at us. One lion actually even growled at us! How cool is that?

We also LOVED the hippos! We saw some of them while we were driving, but we saw most of them in the water & on the shore while we were on the boat. It was amazing! We saw probably 3 or 4 sets of mommas & their babies. We were told that there are thousands of hippos in that area, & that the hippo is the #1 killer of people in Uganda……….. I believed the guide, but they sure didn’t look like killers yesterday. :) The water was so green where we were, & Julie (the other adoptive mom) mentioned it to the guide. We were then told that the water was so green b/c of all the hippo poop! Um, grodie!

It was a GREAT day! Apparently, it was very over stimulating for WJ b/c we had quite an obedience problem when we got back to the guest house where we are currently staying. I think Scott nipped in the bud the best he could, & WJ has been quite obedient today. In fact, this morning he actually asked for us to read books to him! Book reading is a part of his bedtime routine, but we haven’t done much of it at other times, so it was really sweet to see him pick his books & bring them to us. He wanted to be read to from The Jesus Storybook Bible, The Big Red Tractor, & A Mother for Choco. He is snoring in the bed beside us. We have court tomorrow morning, & we are praying that we get our ruling the very same day with no errors in spelling or anything else, & that we are able to leave for Kampala on Tuesday morning with absolutely no problems. Praying, praying, praying!

Remembering Our {Adoption} Adventure - part 8

For the next few weeks, I will be blogging about our adoption journey to Uganda & beyond!  The Lord took us on a sweet adventure to become a family of 3.  We were in Uganda adopting Walker for about 3 weeks.  There were ups & downs.  Highs & lows.  Joys & triumphs.

My husband & I chronicled our adventures on a private Facebook group we created to keep friends & family up to date on all the latest happenings.

This is a re-cap & remembering of our journey ONE YEAR ago!!!!

***I AM PLAYING CATCH-UP RIGHT NOW, SO THERE WILL BE SEVERAL POSTS UNTIL I GET CAUGHT UP.  ONE OF MY SISTERS IS IN THE HOSPITAL, SO I'VE BEEN SPENDING LOTS OF TIME IN THE CAR & THE HOSPITAL ROOM.***

View from the hotel on our safari.  Lakes Victoria & Albert.

May 26, 2012 - post written by my husband

Bethany will write about our day today and the safari tomorrow. In the meantime, here are some things about Uganda I've noticed:
1-The lines on the the roads are merely suggestions. 
2-Speed limit? What speed limit?
3-The second place we were staying at was supposed to be a nice hotel. There was a dead lizard on the wall our first night there.
4-Don't eat the goat on a stick. Grasshoppers are ok.
5-Deodorant is optional...mostly ignored.
6-Goats and cows have the right of way.
7-You can carry a casket on the back of your motorcycle.
8-When your car breaks down, mechanics show up on the side of the road and fix it there.
9-Everyone honks at everyone, but there seems to be no road rage.
10-When you order your food at a restaurant, you will get it two hours later....even if it is just a toasted ham and cheese sandwich.
11-After you drink a coke, you have to give the glass coke bottles back.
12-Little children love to laugh and smile and wave and yell "Mzungus!" at us. Mzungu means white person.
13-It is beautiful here. Very lush, and the heat is more than tolerable. Nothing like Georgia heat. I understand why it is called "The Pearl of Africa."
14-If you are 15 feet from a wild lion and it growls, that is scary.....very scary.
15-There is no such thing as water pressure and hot water is a luxury.
16-Light fixtures are rare. Mostly just a single bulb hanging from the ceiling.
17-I've only seen three red lights so far. That includes driving around in the capital city of Kampala.
18-I could not drive here. It is crazy.
19-Novida and Krest are awesome! {carbonated drinks}
20-A banana leaf makes a great umbrella.

***I despise lizards, so finding one on the wall in our hotel room was FREAKING me out!  I had also totally forgotten that it would take us 2 hours to get our order!!!  Our group never quite seemed to time our meals correctly.  We always went when we were hungry, & then by the time they served us we were ill & ravenous!***

Remembering Our {Adoption} Adventure - part 7

For the next few weeks, I will be blogging about our adoption journey to Uganda & beyond!  The Lord took us on a sweet adventure to become a family of 3.  We were in Uganda adopting Walker for about 3 weeks.  There were ups & downs.  Highs & lows.  Joys & triumphs.

My husband & I chronicled our adventures on a private Facebook group we created to keep friends & family up to date on all the latest happenings.

This is a re-cap & remembering of our journey ONE YEAR ago!!!!

***I AM PLAYING CATCH-UP RIGHT NOW, SO THERE WILL BE SEVERAL POSTS UNTIL I GET CAUGHT UP.  ONE OF MY SISTERS IS IN THE HOSPITAL, SO I'VE BEEN SPENDING LOTS OF TIME IN THE CAR & THE HOSPITAL ROOM.***

May 25, 2012 - 1st post of the day

Fun random facts:
- WJ likes to have hot tea with his breakfast. :)
- WJ likes Veggie Tales (Jonah.) It seems to be his favorite so far.
- He smells EVERYTHING, & then screws up his little face whether it smells good or not.
- He sings all the time!
- WJ can play by himself well. I wondered if he’d be able to do this after being in a home full of children all the time, but give that boy some cars & he’s good to go!
- His fake laughing is hilarious (most of the time.)
- In Rutooro, they have pet names for each other (similar to honey, sweetie, etc.) His pet name is Apuuli.
- He calls Scott both “Daddy” & “Baabaa.” The Rutooro word for Daddy is Baabaa (sp?) It’s really sweet, & I hope he keeps calling Scott this.
- He has & is transitioning well from always eating with his dirty, little hands to eating with utensils.
- When we take his picture, he always runs to see the image on the camera.
- He snores when he sleeps. I think this is b/c he congested at night. If this continues once we get home, then we’ll get it checked out.
- He is a LOUD child when awake & when sleeping. He clearly has more Whitworth in him than Farrar. :)
- Yesterday we went to drive through the Rwenzori mountains. It was beautiful! WJ nearly jumped over the edge. We’ve got a long ways to go with obedience. :)
- When you call him, he says "tata" which means - yes, please.

Walker's 1st swim!  Look at that view behind him!!!!!

Gorgeous Ugandan savanna.

May 25, 2012 - 2nd post of the day

We are at the Mweya Safari Lodge, & it is really very nice. The closest thing to American standards since we’ve been here. We try to always remember that we are in UG & that we are fine with that, BUT to have a real shower & really hot water & a good flushing toilet, it does make us long for the luxuries of home. The drive into the lodge was very much what I expected Africa to look like. Mountains in the distance, but tall green & brown grasses over fairly flat land & African looking tress all over. I could literally hear the soundtrack to Lion King playing in the background……… well, that might have had something to do with the fact that Justin (the other adoptive dad) was in the back of the van singing it. :) Tomorrow we start our day BRIGHT & EARLY. We have to be on the Jeep for our land safari at 6:30am (that’ll be 11:30pm EST), & then on the boat for our water safari at 11am-ish. I am so excited about this! Scott has his camera ready, & will be taking TONS of pictures.

This afternoon we have pineapple Novidas & sat by the pool as WJ played. This was his very first time in the pool, & he absolutely loved it! No fear!!! I guess we’ll be spending a lot of afternoons this summer over at Nana & Pawpaw’s pool. They’ll be so happy!

WJ is doing better & better each day with us. He is responding well to us, his English is improving, & he is remembering what we tell him. However, each night he seems to “act out.” Very stubborn & refusing to obey. I think it has to do with everyone being together for dinner & him being overstimulated.  There seems to be a noticeable rebellion & regression when our driver, Ken, speaks to him in Rutooro (& we don’t know what he’s saying.) He is, of course, only trying to be helpful, but somehow I think WJ rejects our authority when he does that. Maybe he is just getting confused??? Anyway, I am seeing some improvement with his listening & obeying although we still have a ways to go. Again, SO very thankful to be reading “Give Them Grace” by E. Fitzpatrick. God’s timing couldn’t have been any better.

We are establishing a night time routine, & WJ is doing well with that also. Momma bathes him & slathers him with lotion & brushes his teeth --- now that our luggage has arrived, he is really loving his bubble gum toothpaste. :) Then we all 3 get in bed. Momma reads 1 or 2 books to him (currently repeating “A Mother for Choco” and “Mommy & Me”), & then Daddy reads a few pages to us from The Jesus Storybook Bible. Then Daddy prays. Then Mommy. Kisses & then we put him in bed. Last night & tonight he laid right down, pulled up his covers, & was totally out in a matter of seconds. Praise, praise, praise the Lord!

I will sing with Walker, & our 2 favorite UG songs right now are a number song & a song about a mango tree. His adoptive friend, Stella, taught this one to me, & I try to get WJ to sing with me. Right now it’s mostly just me singing in a little African accent. :)

Mango Tree……. Shake, shake the mango tree. Mango yellow. Mango green. One for you & one for me. Shake, shake the mango tree.
Number Song…… Number one, number one. Where are you? Here I am, here I am. How do you do? (and so on & so forth up to number 10)

Oh, I also forgot to report that we had a very magical African day yesterday. We went trekking back into the “bush” of Africa (our 2nd day of doing so.) It was raining, & we were walking all under the banana leaf trees. Some of us ended up cutting down banana leaves to make umb-a-rellas (as WJ said) to protect us from the rain. It was so cool! Definitely a once in a lifetime moment!

Remembering Our {Adoption} Adventure - part 6

For the next few weeks, I will be blogging about our adoption journey to Uganda & beyond!  The Lord took us on a sweet adventure to become a family of 3.  We were in Uganda adopting Walker for about 3 weeks.  There were ups & downs.  Highs & lows.  Joys & triumphs.

My husband & I chronicled our adventures on a private Facebook group we created to keep friends & family up to date on all the latest happenings.

This is a re-cap & remembering of our journey ONE YEAR ago!!!!

***I AM PLAYING CATCH-UP RIGHT NOW, SO THERE WILL BE SEVERAL POSTS UNTIL I GET CAUGHT UP.  ONE OF MY SISTERS IS IN THE HOSPITAL, SO I'VE BEEN SPENDING LOTS OF TIME IN THE CAR & THE HOSPITAL ROOM.***

Pic snapped with some of the older kids at the orphange.

May 24, 2012

Ok, so my little rebellious sinner went to bed tonight right away. Whew! Praise the Lord!!! I/we think his issue {last night} was with having to wear a diaper to bed. His 2nd night with us, he wet the bed, & so, since our luggage hadn't arrived yet, we had to go buy diapers (or dipes as JJ calls them.) UG doesn't have pull-ups, so we had to buy regular baby diapers. Tonight he told us NO to the dipe, but stepped in the pull-ups (we had these packed in our luggage) just fine. I pray the boy never figures out that these are diapers! Today we had a few more obedience issues, but I think that is normal & to be expected – especially with the language barrier. WJ does fine with us when we are at the guest house & one-on-one with him. He responds well & obeys well; even w/ the language barrier. However, when we go out & about he seems to get overstimulated & becomes hard to control. He doesn't listen well, won’t make eye contact, & emotionally pulls away from us. I have to remember that he’s only ever been in a very controlled environment, & that all these new sights, sounds, & people must be extremely overwhelming to him. I think his behavior is normal & expected, but it leaves me feeling a bit scared & powerless & distant b/c I can’t “reach” him. Scott is very good with WJ & with me, so I think we’ll make it just fine. All my other adoptive mommas tell me this is normal, & that once we get home we’ll really be able to focus & work with him & to expect him to improve & grow lots & lots. I am thankful for God’s timing. I am reading the book “Give Them Grace” by Elyse Fitzpatrick, & it is an absolutely wonderful Christian parenting book. So thankful that I am reading this now.  It has been so helpful with where we are right now.

Apparently, WJ doesn't really care for meat all that much. He is eating a lot, a lot, a lot of rice & chapatti. I have been surprised that he seems to know when he’s had enough to eat; he will tell us if he’s full even if there is still food on his plate. Since he was literally starving to death when he was brought to the baby’s home & has been institutionalized for several years now, I wondered how he might react to a “free for all” with food. He’s done so well, & I’m very relieved! As for Scott & me, we are trying some of the African dishes. We love chapatti, beans, rice, & g-nut sauce (a boiled peanut sauce.) We also love Krest Bitter Lemon drink & Novida Pineapple – both carbonated beverages not available in the states. WJ gives a big thumbs up to Fanta Orange & Mirinda Fruity.

Our luggage has arrived, & it is glorious! Around January, we were told that WJ was a size 4T. Thinking we would be leaving in early March, we went ahead & bought several things as a 4T. When our time table got bumped out to May/June, I began fearing that the 4T things wouldn’t fit him. We packed both 4T & 5 for him. As I suspected, little bit is little. His 4T stuff is too big for him. This makes me happy b/c he’ll be able to fit in the jon jons I bought for him; 4T is the biggest size for jon jons.. This is my last opportunity to make him look like a baby boy, so I’m gonna go for it. ;)

WJ continues to have a smile that just warms your heart. He also is bumping up his fake laughing abilities; it is hilarious! He is catching on to saying please & thank you, & will even say w/o being prompted sometimes. He’s not always thrilled about cuddling, but I think that’s just being a 5 yr. old boy. Yesterday, he ran his toy Jeep over my foot, & he hopped up & hugged me & said, “Solly, Mommy, I solly! I solly!” It was precious! Melt.my.heart!

We are off to the safari tomorrow. Looking forward to it!

ps – We will be watching Fox & the Hound tomorrow on our drive to the safari place………. thanks Kyla for confirming that WJ would like this one. I will try to get him to watch Beauty & the Beast when we get home. It’s my favorite!

Remembering Our {Adoption} Adventure - part 5

For the next few weeks, I will be blogging about our adoption journey to Uganda & beyond!  The Lord took us on a sweet adventure to become a family of 3.  We were in Uganda adopting Walker for about 3 weeks.  There were ups & downs.  Highs & lows.  Joys & triumphs.

My husband & I chronicled our adventures on a private Facebook group we created to keep friends & family up to date on all the latest happenings.

This is a re-cap & remembering of our journey ONE YEAR ago!!!!

May 23, 2012 - 1st post of the day

WONDERFUL NEWS this morning. All 8 bags have made it to Entebbe! I think that we are sending our driver to get our bags & bring them back for us either today or tomorrow. SO, SO thankful for everyone's prayers! We are going to stay in Ft. Portal until court on Monday. We had considered going back to Kampala b/c the lodging is more expensive here. However, the lodging here is SO nice. It has a great area for the kiddos to play, & we have a front patio on which we can sit & talk & hang out with the other family. It's really nice compared to where we were previously. Hopefully we can fit in a safari or monkey tracking or something like that while we're out here. We are 7 hours ahead of y'all, so it is nearing lunch time. I'll try to give another detailed update about our day this evening.

May 23, 2012 - 2nd post

This post may be a little more about ME than WJ. :)

This was a semi-difficult day. Of course, I’m running off almost NO sleep, so that could be the biggest issue of my day. Last night was a really poor night’s sleep for me. WJ is a LOUD sleeper – bouncing around all night long, snoring, snorting, whatever, just LOUD. Also, the sunburn on the back of my neck was hurting me VERY badly. I almost cried twice b/c I just couldn't get to sleep; I was tired but every time I would fall asleep I would either be awoken by my sunburn or by WJ’s loud sleeping. 

The Dad of the family with whom we are traveling (another adoptive family) said this yesterday about kids sleeping with you: “It is a really sweet time when they are falling asleep & when they wake up in the morning, but the 7 hours in between are awful!” Yeppers, that’s about right. Thankfully, we have a baby bed in the room & WJ sleeps in that, so that is light years ahead of sharing the bed with him like we did the first night. I’ve taken some Melatonin & hope to be out soon.

Today was a very rainy day here. The weather was quite cool & very nice. I even had to put on a jacket to keep warm. We hung out all day with our adoption buddies (the other family); we both had the doors to our rooms open most of the day & the kiddos came in & out. It was nice. It was definitely a movie kind of day. We watch Nemo (thank you LK for the suggestion – WJ really, really liked it) & Toy Story 1. He was quite enthralled with both of them. I am wishing that we had Fox & the Hound & the Lion King also; I think he’d really like those as well.

We had been told by several people at the baby’s home that Walker was quite a stubborn little boy. When they told us, they just laughed & said you would have to speak firmly & say things twice sometimes before he obeys. Um, yea, no! Maybe if we spoke the same language that would work, but WJ wasn't having any of that today. I noticed that at times he seemed to be “talking back” to us, but since he’s speaking Tooro most of the time I wasn't sure. But either way, there’s not a whole lot I feel that I can do. So, we just kinda made our way through it. It was by NO MEANS awful or terrible; but after the first two days going so well, I wasn't prepared for push-back from him today. Kinda crushed my heart a little & I feel like it put a little bit of distance between me towards him. I know our relationship won’t be great & good & fab instantaneously (& like Scott said, I need to hang on to what happens in the quiet, small, little moments), but my overly tired self doesn't want to be patient. Can anyone else relate to those kinds of selfish feelings? Anyway, I’m not really asking for parenting advice, just need someone to hear & pray & be there when I am ready to ask for advice. Still a bit overwhelmed from the day. However, I will share with you a funny from my little sinner’s stubbornness. WJ very nearly refused to go to bed. He told us “No!” We were able to get him in the baby bed w/o a problem, but the child absolutely refused to lay down. We tried & tried, but to no avail. Little Bit firmly wrapped his tiny hand around the side of the crib & refused to be moved from his sitting position. We just kinda gave in. Our attitude was – "Fine! I might not can make you go to sleep, but I surely will make you stay in your bed." So, with the lights out we laid in our bed & he sat up in his. He was VERY sleepy, & dozed & rocked & wobbled but refused to release his grip on the bed thus maintaining his sitting up position. Finally, after about 45 mins. he fell over & went to sleep. Scott & I laughed & laughed & laughed as we watched his little body fight off the sleep. I wish we could have recorded it for y’all. I think it would've given you a good chuckle.

Tomorrow, someone will be delivering our luggage, & we are so thrilled! It will be like Christmas morning around here. Thank you all for your prayers! I definitely know it was the Lord who intervened to sustain us on limited toiletries & 2 outfits & who has chosen to deliver our bags to us now. We are just thankful he said Yes to our prayers for the bags. We knew He’d sustain us either way, but so glad it will be with our own bags now. :)

We have decided to go on a safari this weekend. Our delayed court date has allowed us some extra time, & we've chosen to have what may be a once in a lifetime opportunity to go on a safari. We are very excited! Also, we are thankful that we were able to find a much less expense safari option that what had been quoted to us earlier. Previously it was out of our budget, so we are thankful that this one is in our budget!

Finally, please continue to pray for us. We covet your prayers, & so appreciate you praying as the Lord directs you. There are SO many things to pray over, & I always feel like I’m leaving something out, BUT with you praying too, I feel like everything is being covered & smothered in prayers!

***HEAVENS TO BETSY!  I distinctly remember that night where Walker would NOT lay down to go to sleep.  Since we were all 3 in one small hotel room, Scott & I got to watch him FIGHTING off that sleep....... it was quite comical..... even if we were a bit delirious from parenting our new 5 year old son.  I also very clearly remember the tough, tough days I had in UG.  I remember feeling helpless & alone as he started to push back.  Looking back, I think our adoption agency coordinator was right --- I think he was acting as badly as he could to see if we would send him back.  {bless his little hurting heart}***

Remembering Our {Adoption} Adventure - part 4

For the next few weeks, I will be blogging about our adoption journey to Uganda & beyond!  The Lord took us on a sweet adventure to become a family of 3.  We were in Uganda adopting Walker for about 3 weeks.  There were ups & downs.  Highs & lows.  Joys & triumphs.

My husband & I chronicled our adventures on a private Facebook group we created to keep friends & family up to date on all the latest happenings.

This is a re-cap & remembering of our journey ONE YEAR ago!!!!

May 22, 2012

Scott & I are laying here in the dark under our mosquito netting (a MUST if you don't want to get malaria), & WJ is sleeping beside us in a baby bed under his own mosquito netting. We moved from our hotel in WJ’s village area to the area for court. BAD NEWS #1: No luggage. Apparently 3 bags are coming in tonight, but we don’t know if they are our bags or the bags of the family traveling with us OR a mixture of both (between the 2 families, we are waiting on 8 bags.) BAD NEWS #2: Court has been moved from tomorrow (Wed.) to Monday. This is not near as bad as our friends in UG recently whose court date was moved out by several weeks. Our judge is still in country & has just gone to Kampala for some kind of last minute meeting. PLEASE PRAY for both the bags & the court date. That our bags (all of them) would arrive this evening, & be fully in tact – nothing stolen or missing; and please pray that our rescheduled court date will stand FIRM & that we will have our written ruling the very same day so that we can head back to Kampala to get WJ’s passport & visa (praying for a QUICK, QUICK process here.) BAD NEWS #3: Pasty, white girls & the equator & missing luggage are NOT a good combo. I have in my packed bags both sunscreen & a big wide-brim straw hat to help protect me from the intensity of the sun, but since our bags aren't here yet, I've gotten burnt to an absolute crisp. Finally, today I was able to get some sunscreen, & hopefully that will help. All in all though, we are not burdened or down or upset about our bad news……….. we are still in good spirits & loving the time with our son.

Today was another great day with WJ. I had heard that often children who are institutionalized are VERY independent & won’t allow their new mommies & daddies to do things for them (like put on shoes, clothes, bathe them, feed them or prepare their food, comfort them when they have boo-boos, wipe their hinies, etc.), but WJ is letting me/us do ALL of this & more for him. He seems to be responding so very, very well to personal, loving, gentle, one-on-one care, & we are loving it! He slept in the bed with us last night (b/c there wasn’t another option), & he is a tosser & a turner! He kicked Scott several times, & woke me up several times also. However, this morning when he woke up, he kind of jumped up & looked around & when he saw that we were right there he gave us the BIGGEST, WIDEST, SWEETEST smile. It was precious! Today was a very full day! We went back into the jungles of Africa to visit WJ’s village. It was a very surreal experience. We got very dirty & dusty. I won’t type too much out about this b/c this is WJ’s story, & we’ll let him tell it when he’s ready. On our drive to Ft. Portal, we drove through a national forest & stopped to see all the baboons. It was so cool! There were 2 mother baboons with babies; baboons are very mean, but thankfully, we didn’t experience any of that. 

We are trying to teach WJ some English words, & he seems to be doing well (but he may only be repeating what we’re saying – time will tell.) He has done well today with “please” and “thank you.” We are also trying to learn some Tooro & this is what we think we know from WJ & our driver, Ken: picki-picki is motorcycle; amaizie is water; soos is tinkle; pamma is poop; gamba is say. It has been so helpful to learn the word “gamba.” We’ll say something like, “Gamba, thank you” or “Gamba, please Mommy.” And then he’ll actually say/”gamba” the English words. This morning we had our first tickle fight, & he LOVED it. Giggle, giggle, giggle. After he gets to laughing, he has a DEEP belly laugh that is so cute. He also (just like his cousin, Micah) likes to fake-laugh. It’s pretty funny.

It is late, & we are tired. Signing off!

***Oh!!!!  I had totally forgotten about him waking up that first morning with us & grinning ear to ear.  That was such a sweet, sweet moment!  In regards to visiting his village, I also remember being totally humbled on that excursion.  They had never had white people come into their village before, & they were the perfect hosts.  Out of their EXTREME poverty, they served us fresh pineapple in the "sitting area/living room/communal area" of their thatched roof, dirt floor home.  It was overwhelmingly humbling!  I hope I never forget that moment!***

Remembering our {Adoption} Adventure - part 3

For the next few weeks, I will be blogging about our adoption journey to Uganda & beyond!  The Lord took us on a sweet adventure to become a family of 3.  We were in Uganda adopting Walker for about 3 weeks.  There were ups & downs.  Highs & lows.  Joys & triumphs.

My husband & I chronicled our adventures on a private Facebook group we created to keep friends & family up to date on all the latest happenings.

This is a re-cap & remembering of our journey ONE YEAR ago!!!!

May 21, 2012

We have WJ with us tonight, & we’ve had him with us almost ALL day. It has been a GREAT day. When we went to pick him up from school, he came TEARING out of the crowd & ran into both of our arms with a force that nearly knocked us both flat. It was absolutely precious!

We are about to have our first movie night, & I think we’ll settle on Cars – although maybe we’ll do Nemo or Toy Story???? Whatever it is, I’m sure he’ll LOVE it!

Another day of FIRSTS. I will try to recap most of them b/c I don't think I'll have any journaling time tonight. First “I love you” from WJ. First lip kisses for me & daddy. First talking to Jajja (my Mom.) First book readings. First time running smack into a sliding glass door (poor baby.) Maybe first time seeing a mirror; he was VERY intrigued. First pair of sunglasses (we brought Cars sunglasses.) First pair of new shoes. Maybe his first carbonated beverage – baby boy downed his Orange Fanta. Clearly his first use of a straw. ;) First time ordering at a restaurant; he had chapatti & rice (a VERY Ugandan dish - chapatti is similar in appearance to a flour tortilla, but tastes way better.) First night at a hotel. First time sleeping in bed with Mommy & Daddy. First bath washing from a crazy white lady who didn’t quite know how to do it, but he showed me (the showers here are different & you use a bucket - there is no shower head.)

Mommy & Daddy had a lot of firsts too! It has been a great day, & I am very surprised with how happy he seems with us. I pray that once the “newness” wears off little bit will still be happy.

Our luggage still isn’t here! Word is that it will be here tomorrow night, but who knows if that is true or not. If it does arrive, then we won’t get it until we head back to Kampala on Thurs. or Fri.

It’s getting late for him, so I’m going to sign off & we’re gonna start the movie on our laptop.

Also, forgot to say that little bit is LITTLE. Size 11 shoe is too big, & I think he's wearing a 3T, but I'll know for sure when our luggage gets here. Little makes me happy b/c I know he'll grow SO fast!

***Yes, he was little!  He was in a 3T.  His feet are still small, but he has grown like a weed.  He has a small waist, which makes pants with adjustable pulls a MUST!  I also vividly remember that first shower.  It was an experience!  He squatted down instead of standing up like we would; I remember not quite knowing what to do.  And the water was ccccc-old!***

2nd post on May 21, 2012 - written by my husband

WJ now has Cars sunglasses, and he crashed watching Cars.....MoMo and Micah (cousins) will be proud. He's been playing Angry Birds and using the Coloring book on my phone, though I really think he just likes hitting the buttons and swiping the icons left and right more than the games. He had his first Fanta, Coke and Novida (carbonated Pineapple flavored drink). We're learning as much Rutooro as we can since he doesn't seem to speak a lot of English. He will often look at one of us and smile, then turn to look at the other and smile, and we LOVE it! He's asleep now and has drool all over his shirt and just snorted loudly :) Tomorrow we go to see his village and his extended family. Please pray everything goes well and that he doesn't have any bad memories that resurface, and if they do that we are able to calm and soothe him. One last story before I sign off. When he was brought to the home he was severely underweight and could not walk. After being there for a while and plumping up, he gave himself the nickname of "Sweet Potato." :)

Remembering Our {Adoption} Adventure - part 2

For the next few weeks, I will be blogging about our adoption journey to Uganda & beyond!  The Lord took us on a sweet adventure to become a family of 3.  We were in Uganda adopting Walker for about 3 weeks.  There were ups & downs.  Highs & lows.  Joys & triumphs.

My husband & I chronicled our adventures on a private Facebook group we created to keep friends & family up to date on all the latest happenings.

This is a re-cap & remembering of our journey ONE YEAR ago!!!!

May 19, 2012 {another entry}

Our schedule was bumped up a day, & we were able to travel to meet Walker today! It was a 5-ish hour drive; we took in LOTS of sights & smells, & I’m still processing most of it. We arrived at the baby home about 6:30ish. There were some children in the yard, & WJ was about the 3rd or 4th kiddo we saw. Our driver, Ken, pointed him out to us, & as calmly as we could we rushed over to him. ;) Ken told him who we were, & he was quiet & a bit reserved (I’m sure quite overwhelmed), but he let us pick him up & kiss & hug him. It was a low-key introduction w/ only minimal tears from the momma. I think that was good b/c it was less overwhelming to him & us; it took any kind of pressure off of us & him. Ken told us that a few weeks back WJ asked him when he was going to get to leave with a family. :( Ken told him that we were coming soon. It was neat to hear that our little one has at least a minimal understanding of adoption, or at the very least understands that others have left & he wants to go too. Ken had to translate a lot between us & Walker. I’m not sure how much English WJ understands & can speak. Only thing the poor baby said was “yes”; anytime he thought we were asking a question his answer was a sweet, little, tiny, African accented “yes.” He took my hand & showed me to his room; a room full of bunk beds (I didn’t count how many.) WJ’s bed is the bottom of a 3-high bunk bed. Not many more nights in that room; very soon he’ll be with us & very likely plopped in bed beside us (not sure we have a choice b/c I’m not putting my baby on the floor – our hotel only has one bed.)

We go back tomorrow morning for a 4 hour long church service, & get to spend the rest of the day at the home with WJ & his friends. On Monday night, I think that he’ll actually get to leave the home & be with us forever! I think I’m a little nervous that my mothering might not kick in………. please pray that I can rest & enjoy the journey. I do trust that the Lord will work in my heart & WJ’s whatever bonding needs to happen, & it may take time, & that’s ok as long as it’s the Lord’s working!

Please also pray that our luggage arrives tonight on the Brussels or Egypt Air flights. Our agency coordinator is supposed to pick them up at the airport in the morning, & then head out here to be with us. We have NO clothes for WJ (except his suit for court on Wed.), NO toiletries (except the travel size toothpaste/lotion/etc.that we packed in our carryons), & only TWO outfits for ourselves. We are hoping to avoid spending money by buying more clothes. :(

I think that is enough for now………

5/19/2012 - Our very FIRST family photo.  (look at that grip he has on his Daddy!  And I don't think I've ever seen my husband smile SO big!  ♥

***I still remember fondly our first meeting with our sweet, little boy!  It was SO lacking in fanfare & hoopla; I had half-way been expecting a moment like Mufasa & Simba in The Lion King.  Oh the joys of a vivid imagination. However, it was perfect!  Words can hardly express the joys of meeting your child half-way across the world for the very first time.  Moving!  Elated!  Joyous!  THANKFUL!***

May 20, 2012 {entry #1}

Things to pray for specifically this week, please.
Monday, May 21 - WJ comes with us......... forever!
Tuesday, May 22 - Luggage is supposed to arrive then! (sooner would be betta')
Wednesday, May 23 - Court date. Judge makes his written ruling as to whether or not he will grant to us legal guardianship of WJ. Hoping for written ruling the same day.
Thursday, May 24 - Hopefully, traveling back to Kampala to stay with my SIL's mother, & wait out the visa process.

***Not having our luggage was a HUGE stressor, but we survived day by day.  At least I never had to pick out what clothes to wear!***

May 20, 2012 {entry #2}

Today was a GREAT day with WJ! We were able to go to church with him, & we were even allowed to go to his Sunday school class. At church, he sat in our laps the whole time, & for about the first half of the service was pretty reserved & quiet, but then he opened up with LOTS of smiles & talking to us (in Tooro.) When we went to his Sunday school class with him, he started to become VERY possessive of us. It was like he was laying claim to us for the other kids. It was a really sweet, encouraging thing to see him do. To us it meant that he has some level of understanding of the 3 of us becoming a forever family. We also were VERY careful how we loved on other children. We worked hard to not pick up other children or hold hands with them. We wanted to do our best to convey to WJ that we were there for HIM, & that he is special to us. Who knows if that was the right or wrong thing to do, but it seemed to work for him, & that made us happy. Scott bought him a soccer ball today, & baby boy laid a very firm claim to that yellow ball. He wouldn't let other kiddos hold it for any length of time. He wanted for us to take the ball with us tonight b/c he was afraid that the older kids might take it & play with it & he wouldn't see it again. (I am so thankful for our driver, Ken, who is a GREAT translator & help for us with WJ.) WJ also called us Mommy & Daddy for the first time today; right now those are just names to him, but one day soon he’ll understand who we really are to him! Other snippets that I am too lazy to go back & put in the above: during church WJ wore Scott’s watch & loved to play with the “light” feature on it; WJ learned to play Angry Birds on Scott’s phone; WJ cried for the first time today & Scott got to cuddle with him (I think an older kid knocked his precious yellow ball out of his hands & it went rolling down the hill --- it was a crisis. broke my heart.) WJ led a song in his little Sunday school class (Mommy got to too); WJ likes riding on Scott’s shoulders; I insisted on Island Margarita hand sanitizer from Bath & Body Works after he went potty (twice), & he didn’t really care for the smell, but the 2nd time he made sure to put his hands on other kids faces so they could smell it; he does NOT like the spearmint green tic-tacs.

***Ah, yes!  I still remember how VERY possessive our boy was of us.  It made my Mommy's heart soar with joy & pride & hope!***