Peace

"Never look ahead to the changes and challenges of this life in fear.

Instead, as they arise look at them with the full assurance that God, whose you are, will deliver you out of them.

Hasn't He kept you safe up to now?

So hold His loving hand tightly and He will lead you safely through all things.

And when you cannot stand, He will carry you in His arms.

Do not look ahead to what may happen tomorrow.

The same everlasting Father who cares for you today will take care of you tomorrow and every day.

Either He will shield you from suffering or He will give you His unwavering strength that you may bear it.

Be at peace, then, and set aside all anxious thoughts and worries. "

~Francis de Sales

Good 'ol Frances had it together. I believe the words and am going to do my best to live them.

"Be strong and let your heart take courage, all you who hope in the Lord."

~Psalm 31:24

4 day weekends are grand

We are wrapping up a delightful four day weekend due to the children having no school on Friday and today. It was nice to chill out.

What did we do?

The little ones made puppy chow in response to Gustavo's request. Yum...

Marco and Gustavo have their first Pinewood Derby coming up so they worked on their cars.

Gustavo at work

Marco concentrating


This morning all 5 kids decided to check out some youtube videos and watch a movie together. I love having children from preschool to high school. The little ones love it when the teenagers hang out with them. :)

Huddled around the laptop

Marco and Ana Lucia intently viewing a youtube video


All the while my heart is breaking each and every day for the people in Haiti. I feel such a heaviness for the crisis.

Holiday Happenings

Christmas 2009 was a holiday to remember! Our family had the pleasure of hosting my family from Indiana and North Carolina. This lively bunch included parents Carol and Dan, sister Holly, her husband Sean, their sons Alexx (18), Joel (11), Seth (6), brother Doug, his wife Mona, and their son Daniel (17).

What a full house! There were bodies sleeping everywhere, going to bed at all hours of the night and waking at varying hours in the morning. There is a well-known fact in the Addington/Davis/Anderson family: we know how to cook good food, eat good food, play fun games, tell great stories, and laugh until we pee our pants, cry, and/or momentarily cease to breathe. Let me assure you that spending the holidays with my family was one of the highlights of my year. :)

In no particular order I will share a pictorial of our time together. Enjoy.

Nana and Ana Lucia making noodles. Noodles made by my mother is my comfort food. "No fat noodles!" is the first lesson to learn.
Me and my sister. I wish we didn't live two hours away from one another. It would be great to be able to pop over to her house any evening. People say we look just alike. Not. However, we do have the same voice and many similar mannerisms.
Gustavo scaling the doorway. The kid is a monkey. It might be safe to say some of us were climbing the walls during the holidays!
Heidi, my sister's dog, found a bone under the Christmas tree meant for Katie's friend's dog. Sorry Jane!

Family getting together means playing cards! Liverpool seems to be a favorite. Friendly name calling can be heard around the table. The most famous name is "Sister boy" given to Mark while vacationing at Emerald Isle, NC. Sister-in-law Mona blurted that one out during an intense game of Liverpool.

All quiet on Christmas Eve. The kids were snuggled in their beds.

Gustavo, Marco & Ana Lucia pose on the last evening of having "Buddy" the elf in the house. We'll miss you Buddy. Until next year...

The Davis crew...don't they look excited?!

Sean and Seth in a father-son billiards game.

Seth even lost his first tooth! Thank goodness the tooth fairy was able to find him in Ohio, two hours away from his Indiana home. Katie and her Uncle Doug. We were excited to have our North Carolina family drive up after their Christmas Eve church service. I believe they made it in record time!

The motley crew: Gustavo, Joel, Marco, Alexx, Zack, Seth, Daniel, Ana Lucia, and Katie with Nana and Papa. A fun time was had by all. As the oldest grandsons prepare for the military and college it seemed to be an extra special holiday with all 17 of us in one home to celebrate family, the birth of Jesus, and the incredible blessing of 3 generations being together.

Thank you, Mom and Dad, for raising us with the importance of traditions, the desire to share in one another's lives, and the value of laughter.

Pssst...I have a story to tell

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6

I have a story to tell you. This is a story of uncertainty and hope, a story of trust, and a story of faith. On June 7, 2003 a baby boy was born in Guatemala City. His future was unclear. Through a series of miracles this baby found himself traveling to the United States on December 18, 2003 to join his forever family. Sitting on an airplane, on his new mama's lap and beside his new daddy, he was headed home to meet his brothers and sister and the rest of his family.

Shortly before this little baby's homecoming I made a vow to acknowledge God's hand in this adoption journey. To honor this vow I tell a bit of Gustavo's story every year on his birthday and on the anniversary of his homecoming.

My dear sister made a scrapbook for us documenting the emails I sent out during Gustavo's adoption. It is a treasure which captures the intense emotion during the adventure of bringing him home. I will share a few tidbits to help paint the picture of our lives from June through December, 2003.

*June 21, 2003 "It is with excitement that we annouce we have accepted the referral of a little boy from Guatemala...adoptions in Guatemala are going through a period of transition...we do not know when we will be able to bring Gustavo home...because we believe in the power of prayer, we invite you to join us in prayer...we are trusting God to allow us to bring Gustavo home..."

*July 28, 2003 "We continue to be held in the difficult position of being caught between old procedures being changed and new procedures not yet in place...There is a chance the Guatemalan government could deny our referral of Gustavo under the new guidelines...Our desire is for Gustavo to have a mami and papi, we hope it is us...We have accepted the challenge, but understand we must be ready to accept God's will for the outcome."

*September 10, 2003 "I am going to visist our little Gustavo...The adoption process is in the best shape it has been in since February...there lies a long road yet to travel...we will certainly have a story to tell regarding getting this little guy home...planning a trip to Guatemala before the presidential elections to avoid any political unrest...traveling to a third-world country in a time frame to avoid political upheaval to visit my baby, who said God doesn't have a sense of humor!"

*September 12, 2003 "It is official - no more adoption shutdown...God is at work in the adoption system in Guatemala...I wish Marco could remember when he is older that he has gone through each and every step of bringing Gustavo home. He has accompanied me on every trip to retrieve and file paperwork, get fingerprinted, go to FedEx again and again and again. He has watched me cry, scream with despair, and shout for joy..."

*September 27, 2003 "One week from today I will be on a jet plane bound for Gustavo Adolfo..."

*October 6, 2003 "Gustavo arrived at 4pm, he is the most precious little guy...he came right to me and we have been falling hopelessly in love ever since..."

*October 10, 2003 "God has blessed us with a wonderful foster family to care for Gustavo...he has the cutest laugh and is very ticklish...he is full of personality and melted my heart...I thought I was going to throw up when I had to leave him..."

*October 16, 2003 "It is very difficult to explain the plight of Guatemalan adoptions this year...we still have far to go...I recently read the quote: I will pray my child through this process. I will trust God's will. I will trust that he will finish what he has begun. I haven't come this far only to give up because it is a little scary!"

*October 25, 2003 "I am waiting on word to find out about our Family Court status...the answer could potentially make a difference of MONTHS in getting Gustavo home...on pins and needles..."

*October 31, 2003 "It is with much excitement that I share our case has exited Family Court...please continue to pray, not only for our journey, but for the many others who are also involved in Guatemalan adoption...there are many birth mothers, children and waiting families going through an emotional time..."

*November 20, 2003 "Received an email from Gustavo's foster mother today...she wrote that she hopes the rest of the process goes fast so Gustavo can be home in Ohio with the family that God has put in his path...as the holidays approach my heart is a little empty because part of our family is not home..."

*December 1, 2003 "It is with incredible joy that we announce our Gustavo Adolfo is coming home...I was Christmas shopping at Target when our attorney called on my cell phone. After hearing the news, I stopped breathing, asked her if she was certain it was our case that was out of PGN, then broke down in an ugly cry right there in the electronics department...when I think of all the times this summer that we were unsure of whether the adoption would be able to move forward, I am filled with gratitude at God's mercy and power..."

*December 8, 2003 "The flights are booked...if all goes well we are headed to Guatemala this Sunday...If you hear a rumble tonight, it is Mark and I trying to put Gustavo's baby bed together. I actually tried to buy the floor model from the store...In all of the excitement this week, I ask that you also pray for Gustavo's birth mother and foster mother. For Gustavo's birth mother, I pray for her peace now that she is finished with this adoption process. For Gustavo's foster mother, I pray for her comfort as she says goodbye to the baby she has parented for nearly six months. Two courageous women who each, in their own way, will hand over to me the gift of motherhood once again..."

*December 15, 2003 "We are here...Gustavo arrived several hours ago and is currently taking his first nap with Daddy..."

*December 16, 2003 "We are officially done, done, done with this adoption...we can't wait to get home and share our little guy with everyone..."

On December 18, 2003 two tired and grateful parents walked down the hallway at the airport carrying a chubby, healthy, happy, incredibly loved baby boy ready to introduce him to his brothers, sister and grandparents waiting not-so-patiently!

There is an indescribable feeling of having your family united. Being all together in one place, no separation, no being patient, no painting a smile on your face to get through the day, no answering for the millionth time "no news yet". I have 5 children. Two of my children I met in an operating room as they were pulled from my body. Three children I met in a foreign country, their birth country. One I met in the lobby of a posh hotel, one I met poolside at a hotel with a volcano overlooking us, one I met in her foster home. The emotion of meeting your child for the first time is precious, and the feeling of welcoming a child home for good is the sweetest of all.

Each and every child is a miracle. I do not tell this story with the thought that Gustavo is any more special than his siblings or any child on Earth. I tell this story to acknowledge the fact there was no luck or favorable circumstances which made him our son. Each child has a story. Celebrate the story. Rejoice in the miracle of life.

On December 18, 2003 our son was welcomed into our home. It has been an amazing 6 years! On December 18, 2009 our son awoke excited for the day because it is Polar Express day in his first grade classroom and he gets to wear pajamas to school today! He carefully chose just the right pajamas and even his robe. As he tied his robe, with his famous twinkle in his eye, he exclaimed he felt he looked just like the boy in the Polar Express with his robe on. Oh, the joy he can extract from his daily life! I asked him if he knew why this day was special. "Yes, Mom, I know. I came home on an airplane from Guatemala on this day."

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

Amen

December 15, 2003 Daddy meets Gustavo

Six years of adventure with my son...looking forward to so many more!

Hmmmm...chew on this for awhile

Do all the good you can

by all the means you can,

in all the ways you can,

in all the places you can,

at all the times you can,

to all the people you can,

as long as ever you can.

~john wesley

I'll be back to write more once I am done digesting. Enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Happy Birthday Marco!!!

Eight years ago today the world became a brighter place when Marco Vinicio Gomez Lopez was born. Our son. Of course we weren't at the hospital, nor did we hear his first cry, and we didn't even learn of his birth until mid-December.

Here is what I do know of that day...

*We were home in Indianapolis working on adoption research. The decision had been made to grow our family through adoption but we had not shared the news yet.
*I prayed each day for our future child, who was probably not yet born, and for the birth family.
*In Jalapa, Guatemala there was a very courageous woman who had some tough choices to make regarding her newborn son.

In the adoption community it is often discussed that adoption requires a huge leap of faith. As adoptive parents we prayed, researched, learned all we could, attended meetings, endured multiple interviews, completed state and FBI fingerprinting, were required to prove our financial, mental, physical, and all-round well being, completed a huge stack of legal paperwork, and in the end made that leap of faith.

I am thinking today about the leap of faith made by Marco's birth mother, Ana Francisca. She had to believe that the people surrounding her in the adoption choice were trustworthy and truthful. She had to believe in her soul that relinquishing her newborn son to an attorney who promised to provide a loving foster home during the adoption proceedings AND place her son with a family in a foreign country would result in the outcome she desired. Talk about a leap of faith - incredible.

Our family had the precious opportunity to meet Marco's birth mother in June. We brought Ana Francisca from her home, four hours away, to Guatemala City to be with us. I'll never forget walking our son to his birth mother and watching their reunion. He looks like her. It appears she is quiet - much like Marco. It wasn't awkward. It wasn't nerve-wracking. It was several hours of pure joy. Sure, there were sad moments, particularly as Mark and I learned more about Ana Francisca's life and her circumstances. There were tears. Most of all there was pure love. Ana Francisca loved watching Marco talk. She scoured his entire body with her eyes as if she was drinking in every bit of him. She kept repeating "he looks so good". I saw peace in her eyes. In turn, she gave me the sweetest gift of peace as well when she remarked, "He looks so good...I will never worry about him again." It was almost as if she could now be completely secure in her decision and confirm for herself that the leap of faith taken on October 5, 2001 was a wise choice.

The timing of the decision to adopt, sharing our news, and his birth is a fun story in itself. On October 6, 2001 we attended a meeting with an adoption agency and made the final decision to move forward with a Guatemalan adoption from that agency. On October 7, 2001 we sat down with Zack and Katie to share the news we were adopting a baby. They were absolutely thrilled and couldn't wait to welcome a new sibling. On December 13, 2001 we received the referral of Marco which means he was matched with our family. Initially I was shocked to learn he was born in October. We were expecting a newborn referral. When I looked at the calendar I was overcome with emotion in realizing that Marco was born on Friday night, we made our decision to move forward with the adoption on Saturday, and told the kids of our plans on Sunday of that first weekend in October. Simply amazing. Little did we know during that weekend that our son had been born on Friday night.

So today we celebrate! We celebrate the birth of a little boy in another country who through the courage of his birth mother, the success of an adoption system, the decision of our family, and the hand of God became our son.

Feliz Cumpleanos Marco Vinicio - you have many people who love you dearly!

Visiting Marco in Guatemala when he was 5 months old - March 2002

Marco sharing photographs of his life with his birth mother Ana Francisca - June 2009


The birthday boy - October 2009

The Middler is 8!

Our middle child, Marco, turns 8 tomorrow. How could it be?! It seems it was just yesterday that we made the decision to grow our family through adoption. After prayer, research, and a leap of faith we decided to pursue an international adoption.

As I type, Marco is sitting in the dining room reading "Henry and Mudge" to me. Our sweet little Guatemalan blessing is turning 8, and I can hardly believe it.

To help in celebrating his birthday, Marco is Star Student in the coming week. He had to complete a poster for the event. Here is how he completed the assignment:

*I am 4 ft. tall and I weigh 48 pounds. My hair is black and my favorite color is red. I am 8 years old and my name is Marco.

*When I grow up I want to be a policeman.

*Three wishes: I wish I had my own monkey and snake. I wish I could be a Star Wars character. I wish I was on a swim team.

*A few of my favorite things: bananas, shrimp, swimming, coloring, and Star Wars.

*Things I don't like: broccoli, honey, bees.

He also drew his family and provided a portrait of himself in an intense pose holding a lightsaber (see photo above).

Our boy - oh how I love him!

Tomorrow we celebrate Marco Vinicio - all 8 awesome years of him. One family tradition is to chose whatever you wish for dinner on your birthday. Marco's request: steak, corn on the cob, watermelon, and shrimp. Long gone is the hot dog or cereal request for the birthday dinner!

So thankful for the miracle of adoption and for the courageous woman who made a difficult choice for her newborn son. We will respect and love Marco's birth mother for the rest of our lives.