Don't forget Haiti: Tent City Video produced by Ryan Booth
Ryan said:it's always tricky making videos like this. best case, you tell one small part of a small story from one place at a certain point in time and it begins to give people a sense of scale. for instance, i hope that, when we open with the wide shot passing rows and rows of tents that we get a sense of the scale. then we step into one tent and hear one story. as we exit the tent city we end with another wide shot of rows and rows of tents... hopefully, through that one small interaction, we begin to sense the enormity of the situation. a massive tragedy made up of regular people just trying to find a place to sleep and some food to eat. Please Don't Forget Haiti
Copied without permission from the Livesay's Blog.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Easter Weekend at the Farm
Nelson, Taya, Brett & Christolla exploring.
Zora happy to run around.
Lots of room to run.
Looks like Mason is smiling, big dog who thinks he is a lap dog.
Robert & one of the cats (can't remember who).
Coming back from feeding the cows.
Chore time.
Nelson happy to be riding in the tractor.
Diamond.
Nelson the cowboy sitting on Diamond with Jen & Christolla.
Horses relaxing.
Uncle Glenn, Jenn & Christolla weighing one of the calfs.
Joanne, me & a calf.
All the cousins having fun.
Christolla getting weighed.
Uncle Glenn weighing Nelson.
Brand new baby calf after a traumatic breech birth & needing to be pulled.
Moving baby back out to the barn so Mom & baby can bond.
So cute, he was a big boy - poor Mama.
We had a great time spending Easter at the farm. It's wonderful for city kids to have somewhere in the country to go too. Thanks Glenn, Joanne, Jennifer, Robert & Brett for opening up your hearts & home to us. Love you!Sunday, March 28, 2010
Two Years - & Lots of Changes
Two years has flown by at an unbelievable rate, if only the wait to bring them home had happened as quickly. The last two years has spanned the spectrum between a constant fight through to extreme happiness. It certainly hasn't been an easy ride, but then I knew it wouldn't be - but the reality can really smack you in the side of the head sometime.
Christolla was my problem child to begin with - unruly, loud, defiant & constantly challenging me. Her constant testing & attitude made her my most difficult to manage child. She still is a little sassy & strong willed at times but she has turned into a lovely six year old. Now she can be reasoned with & will actually even obey sometimes. She now is a joy to take out in public & even loves to help while we shop. She still remembers Haiti & some of the people there but even that is beginning to fade. We ran into a Haitian gentleman one day a couple of weeks ago & when he spoke to her in Kreyol; she sadly no longer understood any of it.
Christolla really struggled to learn her colors, abc's, shapes & I was certain she had some major learning disabilities & would always struggle. I wish I could say I was always patient as I tried to teach her, but I found it very difficult to start at square one each day as she struggled like she had never even seen the concept before. Then one day almost a year home; a switch just flipped as connections were finally made in her brain & she was understanding & you could see she just wanted to devour & soak up as much knowlege as she could. Since that time she has really developed into a smart little girl who is eager to learn.
I held her back one year in school so she is currently in Kindergarten as she had so much too learn & was so far behind her peers. Now she is reading & she probably would have done great in grade one - I am amazed at the giant strides she has made. Next year I am moving both the kids to a French immersion program so that will be a challenge for her in grade one.
She is loving, sweet & affectionate but still a little insecure. She says "I love you Mommy" multiple times a day & just needs the extra reinforcement that all is still well in her world. Frequently she asks if I am her Mommy forever & why did it take me so long to pick her up from the orphanage. I am not sure if she will ever get over her early childhood losses or if she will always struggle with insecurity.
Mr. Nelson - well he is another story................ he started out a much less defiant & much more a active toddler who was into everything. He still had so much baby in him he was easy to fall in love with. Now as a four year old he has turned into a defiant, cheeky little spit-fire that can charm the socks off of a snake. He compliments people constantly, even strangers while we are out & about, that they are beautiful or some other sweet compliment. He loves women & can bat those long eye lashes & flash that beautiful smile & has all the ladies eating out of the palm of his hand. He is going to be a handful in his teenage years so anyone with teenage daughters better be extra careful.
His newest trick is to throw temper tantrums like a two year old when he isn't getting his way at both home & school. He still growls sometimes & then it usually escalates until he is yelling, stomping his feet or flopping around on the furniture like a fish out of water. I tell him constantly that I can't wait until he is six years old. :)
He doesn't know all of his letters or numbers yet but to be completely honest I was so worried about getting Christolla up to speed that I haven't pushed him as much. I will have to switch the focus to Nelson now to prepare him for Kindergarten next year. He is in his second year of pre-school & loves going there.
Dieunelson doesn't remember Haiti at all or any of the kids from the orphanage any more.
They are both super HIGH energy kids & they are both still early risers & are ready & rearing to go each day before 7am. Me, well not so high energy & I am a night owl & like to sleep in on the weekends. I think this was some kind of wicked joke to give me kids that are the polar opposite.
Both kids want to play hockey so bad in the fall; I hope I can work out a schedule & have the finances in place to make that a reality for them. We just finished their first set of skating lessons yesterday & will start their second set in a couple of weeks. They are both actually starting to skate; compared to their walking on the ice that they were doing previously. Christolla is skating with one leg, kind of like she was skateboarding but on the very last lesson Nelson actually starting skating! I think this next set of lessons they will both show great progress. They finished swimming lessons a couple of weeks ago & now are taking private lessons with their big sis Ashley. They are doing amazing & will even jump off the diving board & swim to the edge in the deep water with very little assistance. Christolla doesn't like floating on her back & is a little more nervous but she is really starting to swim. Nelson - well he has no fear - he is up for anything.
We just starting private lessons at the climbing wall with Ashley too. So far we have only had one class but they did better than expected. I am just trying to find some activities to expend some of their energy from being cooped up all winter.
They are amazing little people & I can't wait to see how much they grow & change in the next year. It is really amazing how two little kids can change & influence your life. I wish I was younger & had the finances to adopt some of the newest orphans in Haiti. I think of all the struggles we had at the beginning & my littles had not experienced the trauma of an earth quake. The new wave of orphans coming out of Haiti are going to have even bigger struggles. My heart hurts for Haiti as they approach the rainy season & I just feel like I need to go there to help at some point. Now that I have seen the poverty & living conditions of the Haitian people I just can't pretend it doesn't exist. I do have plans to take the kids back to Haiti for a visit some time in the future.
In case anyone is wondering my kids bio family in Haiti are ok. They do not live in Port au Prince so did not sustain any damage to their home. Even Haitians who were spared the devastation of the earth quakes wrath are still suffering greatly though as food prices have escalated making even staples unobtainable to the majority. It's hard to believe that people can have less than nothing. There is not a quick fix for Haiti, it will be many many years before they recover.
March 5, 2010 - 2nd Homecoming Anniversary.
March 5, 2009 - 1st Homecoming Anniversary.
March 2008 - Photo before departing the orphanage.
March 2008 - Kids Bio Family in Haiti.
March 2008 - Kids with their bio parents.
Christolla was my problem child to begin with - unruly, loud, defiant & constantly challenging me. Her constant testing & attitude made her my most difficult to manage child. She still is a little sassy & strong willed at times but she has turned into a lovely six year old. Now she can be reasoned with & will actually even obey sometimes. She now is a joy to take out in public & even loves to help while we shop. She still remembers Haiti & some of the people there but even that is beginning to fade. We ran into a Haitian gentleman one day a couple of weeks ago & when he spoke to her in Kreyol; she sadly no longer understood any of it.
Christolla really struggled to learn her colors, abc's, shapes & I was certain she had some major learning disabilities & would always struggle. I wish I could say I was always patient as I tried to teach her, but I found it very difficult to start at square one each day as she struggled like she had never even seen the concept before. Then one day almost a year home; a switch just flipped as connections were finally made in her brain & she was understanding & you could see she just wanted to devour & soak up as much knowlege as she could. Since that time she has really developed into a smart little girl who is eager to learn.
I held her back one year in school so she is currently in Kindergarten as she had so much too learn & was so far behind her peers. Now she is reading & she probably would have done great in grade one - I am amazed at the giant strides she has made. Next year I am moving both the kids to a French immersion program so that will be a challenge for her in grade one.
She is loving, sweet & affectionate but still a little insecure. She says "I love you Mommy" multiple times a day & just needs the extra reinforcement that all is still well in her world. Frequently she asks if I am her Mommy forever & why did it take me so long to pick her up from the orphanage. I am not sure if she will ever get over her early childhood losses or if she will always struggle with insecurity.
Mr. Nelson - well he is another story................ he started out a much less defiant & much more a active toddler who was into everything. He still had so much baby in him he was easy to fall in love with. Now as a four year old he has turned into a defiant, cheeky little spit-fire that can charm the socks off of a snake. He compliments people constantly, even strangers while we are out & about, that they are beautiful or some other sweet compliment. He loves women & can bat those long eye lashes & flash that beautiful smile & has all the ladies eating out of the palm of his hand. He is going to be a handful in his teenage years so anyone with teenage daughters better be extra careful.
His newest trick is to throw temper tantrums like a two year old when he isn't getting his way at both home & school. He still growls sometimes & then it usually escalates until he is yelling, stomping his feet or flopping around on the furniture like a fish out of water. I tell him constantly that I can't wait until he is six years old. :)
He doesn't know all of his letters or numbers yet but to be completely honest I was so worried about getting Christolla up to speed that I haven't pushed him as much. I will have to switch the focus to Nelson now to prepare him for Kindergarten next year. He is in his second year of pre-school & loves going there.
Dieunelson doesn't remember Haiti at all or any of the kids from the orphanage any more.
They are both super HIGH energy kids & they are both still early risers & are ready & rearing to go each day before 7am. Me, well not so high energy & I am a night owl & like to sleep in on the weekends. I think this was some kind of wicked joke to give me kids that are the polar opposite.
Both kids want to play hockey so bad in the fall; I hope I can work out a schedule & have the finances in place to make that a reality for them. We just finished their first set of skating lessons yesterday & will start their second set in a couple of weeks. They are both actually starting to skate; compared to their walking on the ice that they were doing previously. Christolla is skating with one leg, kind of like she was skateboarding but on the very last lesson Nelson actually starting skating! I think this next set of lessons they will both show great progress. They finished swimming lessons a couple of weeks ago & now are taking private lessons with their big sis Ashley. They are doing amazing & will even jump off the diving board & swim to the edge in the deep water with very little assistance. Christolla doesn't like floating on her back & is a little more nervous but she is really starting to swim. Nelson - well he has no fear - he is up for anything.
We just starting private lessons at the climbing wall with Ashley too. So far we have only had one class but they did better than expected. I am just trying to find some activities to expend some of their energy from being cooped up all winter.
They are amazing little people & I can't wait to see how much they grow & change in the next year. It is really amazing how two little kids can change & influence your life. I wish I was younger & had the finances to adopt some of the newest orphans in Haiti. I think of all the struggles we had at the beginning & my littles had not experienced the trauma of an earth quake. The new wave of orphans coming out of Haiti are going to have even bigger struggles. My heart hurts for Haiti as they approach the rainy season & I just feel like I need to go there to help at some point. Now that I have seen the poverty & living conditions of the Haitian people I just can't pretend it doesn't exist. I do have plans to take the kids back to Haiti for a visit some time in the future.
In case anyone is wondering my kids bio family in Haiti are ok. They do not live in Port au Prince so did not sustain any damage to their home. Even Haitians who were spared the devastation of the earth quakes wrath are still suffering greatly though as food prices have escalated making even staples unobtainable to the majority. It's hard to believe that people can have less than nothing. There is not a quick fix for Haiti, it will be many many years before they recover.
March 5, 2010 - 2nd Homecoming Anniversary.
March 5, 2009 - 1st Homecoming Anniversary.
March 2008 - Photo before departing the orphanage.
March 2008 - Kids Bio Family in Haiti.
March 2008 - Kids with their bio parents.Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Urgent Prayers Needed
Copied from another ladies blog (Sarah http://ourhaitianjourney.blogspot.com/) - with only adding my kids names instead of hers.
Six children from Christolla & Dieunelsons orphanage have been taken by UNICEF. The escorts and adoptive parents who were with them were accused of child trafficking. Please visit this blog and read the past few posts so you understand what is going on: http://www.childrenofthepromise.blogspot.com
None of the adults involved are being held or charged with any crimes. These children had all the paperwork that they needed in order to be able to leave to come to the USA to be with the adoptive parents. They even had approval from the PM of Haiti as they are required to have in order to leave. This entire situation is absurd and alarming... the children are without basic needs being met and at the very least they should allow the children to return to the orphanage that has water, food, baby bottles, medication etc. One of the babies is now sick. They need your prayers.CNN will be covering the story at 10pm EST. Please tune in and keep praying!!This could have been my kids... and this is his friends... we are just heartbroken for these children who have already lived through so much in their short lives!!
Six children from Christolla & Dieunelsons orphanage have been taken by UNICEF. The escorts and adoptive parents who were with them were accused of child trafficking. Please visit this blog and read the past few posts so you understand what is going on: http://www.childrenofthepromise.blogspot.com
None of the adults involved are being held or charged with any crimes. These children had all the paperwork that they needed in order to be able to leave to come to the USA to be with the adoptive parents. They even had approval from the PM of Haiti as they are required to have in order to leave. This entire situation is absurd and alarming... the children are without basic needs being met and at the very least they should allow the children to return to the orphanage that has water, food, baby bottles, medication etc. One of the babies is now sick. They need your prayers.CNN will be covering the story at 10pm EST. Please tune in and keep praying!!This could have been my kids... and this is his friends... we are just heartbroken for these children who have already lived through so much in their short lives!!
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A Note From the Lawyer We Used
In the photo below; on the left-hand side; was the lawyers office of Dr. Jacob Bernard that completed my adoptions for me.
This is a note from Dr. Bernard,
"IT WAS ABOUT 4:50P.M, I STEPPED UP INTO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ON MY WAY BACK HOME FROM WORK. AS I JUST ARRIVED ON THE 2ND FLOOR, THE BUILDING COLLAPSED ON EVERYBODY WITHIN SECONDS . THE ROOF CAME DOWN OVER OUR HEADS. I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE THIS MIRACLE. I WAS ONE STEP TO DEATH, BUT PEACEFUL, TRUSTING THAT MY LIFE WAS IN GOD'S HAND. MY MIGHTY GOD GOT ME OUT SAFELY. AS I JUMPED FROM THE 2ND FLOOR INTO ALL THE DEBRIS, I GOT HURT ON MY LEFT SIDE. HOWEVER, I AM SAFE AND SOUND...IT IS A LONG LONG STORY.WHAT A MIRACLE!WHAT A GOD THAT WE ARE SERVING! HE SURELY IS NOT DONE YET WITH ME.WHEN I GOT HOME, CLAUDETTE AND THE OTHERS WERE FINE, BUT THE GUEST HOUSE SHOOK UP SO BAD THAT THE WATER COOLER, BOOK SHELVES FULL OF BOOKS, AND CABINETS FELL ON THE FLOORS. AS I AM WRITING THIS EMAIL, THE HOUSE IS STILL SHAKING UP. WE WILL SLEEP OUT SIDE, UNDER THE FRONT PORCH."
That was yesterday & they were all sleeping outside again tonight. Dr. Bernard is a US educated lawyer that also runs an orphange called NLL - New Life Link.
This is a note from Dr. Bernard,
"IT WAS ABOUT 4:50P.M, I STEPPED UP INTO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE ON MY WAY BACK HOME FROM WORK. AS I JUST ARRIVED ON THE 2ND FLOOR, THE BUILDING COLLAPSED ON EVERYBODY WITHIN SECONDS . THE ROOF CAME DOWN OVER OUR HEADS. I WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE THIS MIRACLE. I WAS ONE STEP TO DEATH, BUT PEACEFUL, TRUSTING THAT MY LIFE WAS IN GOD'S HAND. MY MIGHTY GOD GOT ME OUT SAFELY. AS I JUMPED FROM THE 2ND FLOOR INTO ALL THE DEBRIS, I GOT HURT ON MY LEFT SIDE. HOWEVER, I AM SAFE AND SOUND...IT IS A LONG LONG STORY.WHAT A MIRACLE!WHAT A GOD THAT WE ARE SERVING! HE SURELY IS NOT DONE YET WITH ME.WHEN I GOT HOME, CLAUDETTE AND THE OTHERS WERE FINE, BUT THE GUEST HOUSE SHOOK UP SO BAD THAT THE WATER COOLER, BOOK SHELVES FULL OF BOOKS, AND CABINETS FELL ON THE FLOORS. AS I AM WRITING THIS EMAIL, THE HOUSE IS STILL SHAKING UP. WE WILL SLEEP OUT SIDE, UNDER THE FRONT PORCH."
That was yesterday & they were all sleeping outside again tonight. Dr. Bernard is a US educated lawyer that also runs an orphange called NLL - New Life Link. Numb
As the news feeds continue to show more & more details regarding the devastation in Haiti I absolutely feel sick. Haiti is not equipped to deal with this kind of an emergency. There are no first responders. Luckily there are many NGO's & missionaries in the country that can help as Haiti waits for the world to respond. Please world respond...............
Monday, January 11, 2010
Christmas Day 2009
I love this photo.
Bet you don't see anyone in Haiti carrying a toboggan on their head.
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