remember me?

This is Kaitlyn.. remember me? Besides commenting on the rest of my family's posts, I've been silent on the blog for a few months. That's me, though, I guess - the quiet, calm one of the family. I think I'm like that with my friends at school, too. I like to sit back and take everything in, and I think deeply about a lot of things, too. I like to listen. I like to hear what's going on in other people's lives, and not just on the surface level, but what's going on underneath to make them feel or act the way they do. That's probably why I became a psychology major.. I like to understand how people think, and to try to understand the thoughts and motivations behind what goes on in my life and other people's lives. It's interesting.. there's usually always something deeper going on behind what happens on the surface. I don't really think I'm good at giving advice or fixing problems for myself or other people, but I like to listen and try to understand what's going on. Thinking like that probably seems weird to some people. I think my family sometimes wishes I would stop thinking about things so much, and I probably do over-analyze at times, but it's just the way my mind works. I don't do it to judge.. I do it to understand. I definitely know I cannot figure everything out - not even close. But still, many things that happen make a lot more sense when I look at what the below-the-surface reasons for them may have been.

I love God, a lot. I love that He continues to work in me to grow and challenge me and that He will never be through with me. I have seen and believe that He is good and loving. In Ann Arbor this school year, I have my own room, and it's been so good to have a place to myself where I can seek God. My room has been my sanctuary, my special place for connecting with the Lord.
Last year, when everything felt dark and confusing, I clung to the verse, "I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord" (Psalm 27:13-14). Over the past 6 months, I have felt that God has shown me His goodness in this life in so many ways. Recently, the most exciting news in my life is that I've started dating a really awesome man, Michael. He loves God and is a humble servant, and I feel very honored to date him! We're having a lot of fun together, and we're in the process of figuring what it looks like to put God at the center of our relationship - which is our biggest desire. I've waited and prayed for a relationship like this for a long time, and I am so thankful that God has brought him into my life.. more than I can put into words!

Haiti has been on my heart so strongly these past few months. I think about it all the time. I have a deep love and passion for the country and for the Haitian people. My visits to Haiti have changed me. I would really like to spend some time there after I graduate, and God is opening doors for that to happen so.. we'll see! It's very exciting.

Well, I was putting off posting because I hadn't written in so long and I didn't know where to start, but that's what I came up with:) So, basically - I'm quiet because I like to take things in and think, but if you want to get me talking, bring up life, God, Michael, or Haiti!

---kait---

A very good song

Here is an awesome song called "Saviour King" by Hillsong. It is AMAZING. Enjoy!

Awaited

On Thursday night, Kait, Nick, Tim, Julia and I went to our church's Christmas production. It is called Awaited. It was very good...not like any Christmas production I've ever seen before. The music was beautiful.

Tomorrow we are seeing it again....this time taking Mike along. He didn't get to go with us on Thursday.

It was a great way for me to reflect on the true meaning of the Christmas season.

Love,

Karen

Update from Nick

Hello everyone!

Winter Break has been going great so far. We have not been doing much. I usually wake up at like 9:30 and then drink coffee/read/and talk to Kaitlyn. It has been nice relaxing and spending time with family. Today we went Christmas shopping. I am all finished shopping! Woohoo. Timmy taught our family a card game called KEMPS. We have been playing it a lot after dinner. It is so much fun! Rochelle people- we will teach it to you when we come!

Tomorrow night some of us are seeing a christmas play at our church called Awaited. We will see it as a whole family on Sunday morning. It should be pretty good!

Remember: JESUS LOVES YOU!!!!!

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well."
~Psalm 139:14

kait will be home tomorrow

Talked to Kait this morning and she said there was over a foot of snow in Ann Arbor! She said it's very pretty. So, thankfully she could wait until tomorrow to drive home. The forecast is for sunny skies! Kait, we are so looking forward to having you home for Christmas. I love you very much and will pray for driving mercies as you travel. Can't wait to see you!!

Love,

Mom

Update: Kait is home! Hurray!!

what kind of flower are you?

I am a Snapdragon What Flower Are You?

Try this. It's kinda fun.

Nick's Home!!!

Nick made it home at 3am this morning. Our forecast was for snow today and it was going to be worse in mid-Ohio. I knew if he left last night he would beat the snow. He left around 9:30pm with a Starbucks coffee in his hand! We are so thankful to have him home for Christmas!!! I smell the coffee brewing right now. I'm not a coffee drinker so we only smell coffee in our house when Kait and Nick are home! Kait will be coming home tomorrow, unless there is snow in the forecast! Kait, we can't wait until you are home with us!!!

It is now feeling more like Christmas!!
Karen

one year ago

One year ago today was my last chemo treatment. I am so thankful that it's this year and not last. Last year we were trying to make decisions about Mike's job. I felt I was in a chemo fog and honestly could not make a clear decision. I relied on God for guidance, and the confidence of Mike, Kaitlyn, and Nick gave me assurance. They were so positive that Mike should take the job in Cincinnati. They all prayed about it and it was clear to them that this was the route to go. It was truly a time where I trusted God to speak to them and I watched as God guided them towards a move. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path. My "own understanding" was screaming that we should NOT move. My "own understanding" was very angry at God that we would have to face this decision as I finished chemo and was ready to start six weeks of radiation. I DID NOT want to move. My "own understanding" said it just didn't make sense. My "own understanding" did not want to be so far away from Kait and Nick during the school year. My "own understanding" said how will we sell our house in this horrible housing market? I wanted control and control was taken away from me. Over the next couple months, God kept whispering in my ear "Trust me. Has not my timing always been perfect?"

When I reflect back on this past year, I am so glad that I trusted God. It wasn't easy. When I think how our house sold, it is truly a miracle. His timing was perfect. Tim and Julia were able to finish the school year in East Lansing! He provided health insurance for me through my job. He lead us to our house in Cinci and a wonderful neighborhood. Thank you Mike, Kait and Nick for your strength during those days when I was in a fog and listening to God for His leading us to Cincinnati.

Thank you, God, for leading us to Cincinnati. Thank you for sticking with me as I struggled to understand why we would have to move during my treatment. Thank you for blessing Mike with his job and for providing a supportive work environment for him. Thank you that Tim and Julia are so happy in their new school and are making friends. Thank you that Kait and Nick have adjusted to us being so far away from them. Thank you for leading us to Crossroads Church.

Karen

Nick's Random Eight Things

Here are my random eight things!

1. I have shook hands with Dick Cheney and John McCain.
2. I have met a plethora of famous people: Aaron Carter, Diana DeGarmo, Magic Johnson, Ice Cube, Kelly Ripa, Regis Philbin, MANY Real World cast members, MANY Survivor cast members, JENNIFER HUDSON (pride myself on that one...she is a grammy award winner), Kimberley Locke.
3. I have been on the Dr. Laura show.
4. I have been to 8 countries (Canada, Russia, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Liechtenstein, The Netherlands)
5. I have never skipped a class in college yet (despite for the Wednesday before Thanksgiving this year, which half of the class was gone anyway)
6. I speak German. Kannst du Deutsch? Oder muss ich auf Englisch sprechen? Wenn du mich verstehst, dann kannst du Deutsch. Gut gemacht!
7. I love to fall down. I find it hilarious when people fall down, and if you fall down in front of me, I will laugh. It is my goal to get tapped by a Bus or a semi one day. Not to get hurt from it, just tapped and fall down.
8. The worst thing that could ever happen to me would be to be stuck out in the ocean without anyone else and far away from land. Sea animals freak me out.

I think those are the most random eight things.

Update on Yesterday

First, Julia's conference could not have gone better. They are very impressed with her abilities and her reading teacher called a "role model" for the other students in her group. We are very proud of her. Julia went through yet another change in October when her third grade teacher, Mrs. Gerstle (who is the epitome of what you want for your child's teacher) left on maternity leave that will last the rest of the school year. Mrs. McCann is Julia's new teacher. The transition has gone so smoothly for Julia. She is so happy about going to school and just a cheerful little girl. Her reading teacher also called her a "ray of sunshine." I feel the same way. We discussed Julia's anxiety about writing. Like Aunt Linda said, as she continues to read, the writing will naturally come. She has so much to say and writing it down would be a great outlet for her.

Her follow-up appointment went very well, too. Dr. Hirsch feels she is very stable in her Pulmonary Hypertension right now. Clinically, he said she is the same as she was when he did the Heart Cath in September. I asked about the future; will it progressively get worse like I've read online? He said that is the hard part about this condition. One can never predict what will happen as she goes through puberty. He is very optimistic though. She got bumped to a four month check up, which is positive. He also said she has NO restrictions at this time. He wants her to be able to participate in whatever she wants!!! PRAISE GOD! He did say that as long as the coach understands her condition and doesn't push her too hard. She needs to rest and catch her breath. Julia has wanted to play soccer so it seems like it will be in her future.

I'm off to volunteer at church this morning. I've started doing that about once a week and am meeting people over there. I really like that.

Love you all!
Karen

echo and other stuff

This morning, Julia has a follow-up echocardiogram and doctor visit with her cardiologist. We have no concerns at this point. She is doing very well physically. This is just a routine check up at Cincinnati Children's

Before this, Mike and I have a conference with Julia's classroom, ELL and reading teachers. Mostly I am expecting positive comments. She is struggling with the writing portion of her homework. This is often the case that this is the hardest and last skill for children like her. She has only known English for less than 18 mos. We think she is doing great.

Dad's Random Eight Things

Since I was tagged by my lovely wife, I'll post 8 random things about me.

1. I was questioned by the FBI regarding the disappearance of Jimmy Hoffa (I didn't do it - I swear.)
2. I organized a slam dunk contest at Northwestern University and Michael Jordan came to judge the finals at halftime of a Northwestern basketball game.
3. I once ate 11 and 1/2 Big MAC's in 90 minutes (but lost out on the $50 I would have won if I ate 12. I could not eat one more bite after 11 and 1/2.)
4. I have spent four nights sleeping in the Grand Canyon (only one was a planned sleep over.)
5. I have met my favorite athlete (Magic Johnson) and my favorite singer (Burton Cummings), but my wife topped me by receiving hugs from both.
6. I have lived at 28 different addresses in my life.
7. One of my goals in my life is to ride my bike across the country.
8. Both Karen and I were engaged to other people prior to us meeting each other (I guess God knew we were meant for each other and didn't let the other engagements work out.)

I know tag Timmy, Julia, Linda and Tom.

Love you all,

Mike

8 random things about Karen

I was tagged by Karla to tell eight random things about me. I'll try to think of eight.

1. I have lived at 19 different addresses.

2. Regis Philbin once interviewed me to take the place of Kathie Lee Gifford.

3. I parasailed on my honeymoon.

4. I had a cameo in the movie Spring Break.

5. I have been to Haiti five times....and can hardly wait to go back.

6. I was an ACE certifed aerobic instructor.

7. My favorite full time job was working at Donley Elementary in East Lansing as a Paraprofessional.

8. I once was the part-time Children's Ministry Director at our church. (not my fav job)

I tag Mike, Kait, Nick and Annie.

beach time

We had three great beach days. Kaitlyn and Nick got to go to the beach, but it was very chilly on that day and I forgot the camera. Above is the shark that Mike, Grandma Mary and Julia made. Julia used some broken shells for teeth. It was very cute because it was a "nice shark."

how we spent Thanksgiving

Julia and Uncle John. Yes......Julia is steering the boat! YIKES!
Grandma Mary enjoying our un-traditional Thanksgiving Day.

Mike and Karen

Nick enjoying the ride! Looks like he could fall off, doesn't it?

Kaitlyn and Tim on the front of the Sailboat!

Uncle John and his first mate, Nancy.

Thanks for the hospitality and the great day on the boat!

florida and football...and thanksgiving

It is so weird to celebrate Thanksgiving in a warm climate if you are from the Midwest, where it usually is cold and has snowed already. We celebrated Thanksgiving out on Uncle John's new 32 foot sail boat out on the Inter coastal Waterway. It was such a good time. John and Nancy had our family and Grandma Mary out on the boat. We sailed from Daytona Beach to New Smyrna Beach. It was suppose to take 3 hours but we got stuck on a sand bar for over an hour due to low tide. The weather was around 70, but cloudy and we got rained on, but we made a great fantastic memory. We later drove back to Daytona where we had a traditional Thanksgiving dinner with the rest of the football team families.

The other weird part is all the Christmas decorations around. I'm used to freezing by this time. I guess the freezing helps me get in the mood. Speaking of getting in the mood, I am one of those crazy Day After Thanksgiving Shoppers. I miss that this year. I love the sport of getting that one item on sale at such a discounted price. I always have such a good time with my Mom, Karla, Kelly, Kaitlyn, Emma, and Haley on this day. We start early and then go out for lunch to discuss our purchases and see if there is anywhere else we want to go. I miss them this year.

Tim is feeling better and will be playing in the game this morning. The first game is at 10:40. We are thankful for the prayers for him. He has been able to have a good time down here!

Well, the family is waking up and I need to go! God's Blessings to you all on this Thanksgiving Weekend!
Karen

happy 12th birthday TIM

Today is Tim's 12th birthday. We are celebrating it down here in Florida. The bad news is that Tim is not feeling well. He woke up with a fever of over 101. I doubt if he will be playing football tomorrow...hopefully feeling better by his first game, which could be Thursday. This is a poem that Mike wrote for Tim:

Ode To Tim

On your specia birthday, number twelve

Triumphant and great things, you will delve.

A handsome and smart boy you are

A young man developing, a true star.

We love you so very, very much

A loving, kind boy with a magic touch.

Funny, intelligent and kind, that is clear.

God's blessings to you for a GREAT year.

The weather has been so nice down here. We have been at the beach every day and loving it. Tim and Julia have been in the ocean and having a blast in the sand. Gramma Mary made the most delicious Thanksgiving Dinner on Sunday!! Last night we ate Wild Rice and Turkey Soup that she made. Today we go to Daytona Beach to meet up with the other teams. Wednesday, Kait and Nick get into Orlando. Please say a prayer that Tim's fever goes away and he starts feeling better. He's in a cheerful mood because it's his birthday, but I feel so bad that he's sick.

Love,

Karen

and we're off.....

The car is packed up and we are heading to bed. We plan to be on the road by 4am (or so...). We are all very excited to see Gramma Mary tomorrow night in New Smyrna Beach!

This photo was taken in August of 1986 in Miami Beach with a beautiful 5 month old Kaitlyn and much younger parents!!

tagged by Annie

My friend, Annie, has a blog. She tagged all who read it to answer the following questions. They are fun questions. Annie is WHY and HOW we found out about Russian adoption and specifically how we found our Julia! Your job, if you are an adoptive parent and have a blog of your own, is to answer on it.

What are the first three things you bought for you new child?
It's been a couple years, so I will have to think.

1. A pink Donley Dolphin sweatshirt. That was Julia's school in East Lansing.

2. A small backpack filled with all the goodies a girl could want...lip gloss, crayons, a doll, paper, coloring book, brush, hair stuff, etc.

3. A Russian Bible.

Who laid the first big kiss smack dab on the face of your new child?
I did!!!! I could hardly wait to hug and kiss her. She was afraid of Papa at first. She still is reluctant to hug and I don't think she's ever kissed him. She does love him dearly, although she still won't say "I love you" to anyone in our family.

What was one of the first phrases you learned in your child's native language?
Ya tiber lublu which means "I love you."

What was your favorite food in country?
I liked the porridge that we would eat in the morning. The yogurt was also good. It wasn't low fat so it was very tasty.

What was your least favorite food?
I can't remember. I do know that the "sausage" at the Hotel Ukraine was more like our hot dogs. I think I liked everything I tried.

What part of the adoption process has been the most sentimental to you apart from meeting your child?
After court and knowing Julia was really our daughter. We brought her clothes to the orphanage for her to change into. She was so excited to put them on. She just grinned from ear to ear and ran back upstairs to show all her friends her new clothes. I was overwhelmed with love and joy for her!

florida for thanksgiving

On Saturday, Mike, Tim, Julia and I will be driving to Florida to celebrate Thanksgiving with Gramma Mary. We are planning to leave around 4am. It will take us about 14 hours to drive down there. We will be spending three nights with Gramma Mary in New Smyrna Beach. We are looking forward to that very much. On Tuesday, which is Tim's 12th birthday, we will be driving to Daytona Beach. We will meet up with Tim's football team around 4pm and check into our rooms. We are staying at a Hilton right on the ocean! Kait and Nick are flying in on Wednesday afternoon. We will drive to Orlando and pick them up. Kait and Nick will be staying with Gramma. They are so happy about spending time with her. We will be celebrating Tim's birthday on Wednesday night with Gramma, Kait and Nick. I think he said he wanted to go to Norwoods! Good time!

Things are going well down here. We are making connections and that is good. Still need to find a dentist and eye doctor. There are so many details in life that you take for granted until you do a long distance move. In East Lansing, we were so well connected. I knew who to call for house repairs; great schools and principal; so close to major shopping; nice variety of restaurants nearby; long term relationships with dentist, pediatrician, eye doctor, family doctor; who to cut my hair now that I have it again, etc. Here, I have had to start all over. Sometimes it's been frustrating just not knowing WHO to call. It all takes time and sometimes errors are made, like finding a trusted auto mechanic and all the money we put into Reege (the kid's car). I have found someone to cut my hair that I like alot. We have found a trusted place to get our cars repaired. I have found an Oncologist that I like. I found a Pediatrician's for Tim and Julia. We found a Cardiologist who is an expert in Julia's condition. God has taken care of even the smallest of details.....I worried so much before I moved and he has gone before me and prepared the way. God is like that. Yay God!

Karen

Thank God - A Normal Weekend

Well, it was a normal weekend for the Combes family this weekend. And we are thankful to God for a relaxing and relatively uneventful weekend. On Friday, we went to our favorite local restaurant, Anderson Bar and Grill. Karen and I had a chicken wrap and a couple of beers while the kids ate and played video games. I came home and was asleep by 9pm. On Saturday, the girls (Karen and Julia) went to get Julia's haircut (looks adorable) and to a craft show. They were gone for hours having fun together. Tim and I hung out, mowed the lawn and raked some leaves. I was able to get a 15 mile bike ride in which was fun. Karen then went on a girls night out with some friends while Tim, Julia and I went to the Bee Movie. Julia loved it and so did Tim and I since we are BIG Seinfeld fans. Sunday we went to church (another great sermon and moving service), went to Panera a then home. Julia and I played games for 3 hours while Tim and Karen went shopping. We built our first fire in our home this afternoon as it was a cold and rainy day. It was fun to sit by the fire. Julia and Tim even roasted marshmellows and made smores. Now we are just hanging our watching some NFL football. The Bengals won - Whodey!! as the say here in Cincinnati (long story - which we still don't fully understand). We were excited that University of Cincinnati beat the #16 team in the country (Connecticut) yesterday and moved to 7-2 on the year. If they win their last two games, they will win the Big East and go to a BCS bowl. We were glad to see Ohio State lose to the Illini on Saturday. Karen has become the biggest Ohio State hater as she is sick of their arrogant attitude already.

Karen and I got a chance to talk to Kaitlyn and Nick this weekend and they sound like they are doing good, despite both having heavy homework loads. Please pray for them - that God would have them find some joy in their schoolwork.

We want to give a special shout out to my sister Linda who completed a two year spiritual internship with the Catholic Church and was commissioned last night to go and love and serve the world. Linda was selected by the group to give a speech regarding the internship and the commission. I am so proud of her. She is a such an example of God's love as she reaches out to all she comes in contact with and shows them God's true love, wisdome, caring and kindness. Congratulations Linda.

Have a great week. Love and blessings to all of you.

Mike/Dad

kaitlyn loves the kids of haiti

hail storm

While I was writing the "michigan" blog, this hail storm came through Cincinnati. I haven't seen hail in a long time.

a fun michigan weekend

Mike and Linda

Mike loves his big sister.

We had such a fun weekend in Michigan. We got to Linda and Tom's house around 10pm on Friday night. We slept in "Linda's Loft" as Mike calls it. Thanks Tom and Linda for the nice accommodations and also the great breakfast. Tom made his "famous pancakes" which were delicious.

We left Tom and Linda's around 10:15 am to head to East Lansing. We planned to have lunch with Nick at Cosi's (our favorite lunch spot in EL - the nearest one in Ohio is 90+ miles away). We picked up Nick and off we went. To our surprise, it wasn't very busy. Mike's great friend, Larry Sernick, dropped by to say "hello" before the Spartans hosted the Michigan Wolverines. Larry does the stats for the radio broadcast. He is a HUGE Spartan fan. Unfortunately, my camera was out of battery and I didn't take any pictures.

After Cosi, Mike, Nick, Tim, Julia and I walked across the street to Michigan State and walked to a tailgate hosted by Mike's good friend, Denny Mayer and his brother, Brian. It was great to see Denny and Brian.

Next we found my cousin, Dan VanKirk. He was at the game with his awesome girlfriend, Jessica, who graduated from MSU. We got to meet Jessica's family. It was great to see Dan and have a beer and Screwdriver with him. Mike knew a lot of people that Jessica's mom went to high school with! (small world) Dan was dressed in his Illini sweatshirt and Bears ball cap. All I can see is, GO GREEN! Mike went to the football game with Denny and Nick, Tim, Julia and took off. We had people to see.....ha! (BTW, congrats to Linda and Kaitlyn on the Wolverine victory.)

Julia got to see her VERY best friend, Anastasia. Nastya (her nickname) is also from Russia. Nastya helped Julia so much when Julia first got to the USA. Julia was invited to sleep over with Anastasia. Julia was SOOOO happy; she also got to see Nastya's brother, Zhenya. Zhenya and Julia were in the same 2nd grade class and are great friends.

This is Tim and Anastasia's biological brother, Ilya, whom the Kitching family just adopted. It is quite a story. Ilya is 12 and has been here just since the beginning of September. Tim had a great time with him playing soccer outside while Annie (his mom) caught up with each other. I miss her so much.

Then we drove Tim over to his best EL friend, Colin. Colin and Tim met in 2nd grade and have been friends ever since. I didn't get a photo of Colin. Colin had Tim (well, can we say Tim invited himself) over for a sleepover. Colin had three other friends there, so Tim got to catch up with them, too! Tim had a GREAT time.

While Tim and Julia were off having fun, I got to spend time with Sara. Sara and I have been friends since Kaitlyn and Nina were in Kindergarten together (they are now 21 and each going to graduate from Univ. of Michigan soon). She is a GREAT friend and I miss her very much! Nick dropped Sara and I off at CapCafe and we drank coffee and caught up on each other's lives. I love you Sara and hope I can see you soon!

After the football game, we went to Pizza House. This is Tim Weiruch and his wife, Jan. Tim worked with Mike at the MAC and Mike likes him so much!

Carl and Paula also came to Pizza House. It was so nice to see them and celebrate "life." It was just a fun evening. Megan Garrett and her son, Brandon, also stopped by. Larry and Cathy Sernick were suppose to, but Larry was too bummed after the MSU loss to come.

Mike and I slept in the dorm......yes, you read right, the DORM! ha! Nick has his own room and across the hall is his office with a couch. He also has a private bathroom. Nick was gracious enough to let me sleep in his bed (see photo). Mike slept on the floor and Nick slept on the couch. I had a personal fan and cable TV! What more could a girl want??? Thanks for your hospitality, Nick!

We left East Lansing around 9:10am on Sunday morning. We drove to Ann Arbor to meet Kaitlyn at Panera for breakfast. It was great to see Kait....Julia asked all weekend WHEN we would see Kaitlyn. We had a great time. We will all be together in about two weeks in Florida. I can hardly wait!

It was just a wonderful weekend. I miss our Michigan friends and family, but know that God has us in Cincinnati for this season in our lives. I like it here! I think it's my favorite place I've ever lived.

Karen

Happy Halloween

Tim and Julia had a great night Trick or Treating in our neighborhood. Tim went as an old time Gangster and walked around with his friend, Chet. Julia was a cowgirl and walked (or rather, ran) around the neighborhood with her friend, Emma.

Don't ya love Tim's beard? This is all the neighborhood kids who walked in the parade. It was a fun night and nice to be outside!

Karen

just some thoughts

First the good news. I spoke with my oncologists office and the x-ray looks fine...she said "no cancer" and she did see what she called a "spur." I've had heel spurs before and the pain is similar. I'm just relieved that she didn't see cancer. hurray!

We have decided to go to Michigan this weekend. Mike will be attending the MSU vs. UM football game on Saturday afternoon. It will be a VERY quick trip. We won't be leaving Ohio until 5pm on Friday; we are staying with Tom and Linda on Friday night. Saturday we will drive to East Lansing where I will spend the day with Nick and hopefully Kaitlyn will come over. Tim is excited to see his friend, Collin. Julia is hoping she can see Anastasia. We will have to leave EL by 10am on Sunday. I haven't been back to MI since June.

So, today is Halloween. It is a beautiful day in Cincinnati. A perfect fall day...mid 60's, mostly sunny, a breeze blowing. It will be our nicest Trick-or-Treating night in many years. I did find out that although they have a Halloween Party in Julia's class, they do not dress up. I did not even realize this until this morning when I noticed that nothing was sent home regarding the appropriate costumes. When we got to school, the counselor was outside greeting kids and I asked her if they dress up at Wilson. She told me no. Julia did take her costume in her backpack, but I did mention to her that they might not dress up. She really enjoyed the Donley tradition of the Halloween Parade. Tonight at 5pm, our neighborhood is having a Halloween Parade that ends up at another neighbor's house where we will eat hot dogs, and other goodies. Should be fun. Julia is a cowgirl and Tim is a gangster.

Last night Mike and I went to an event with the President one of the Mercy Hospitals. They had bought a table for this leadership event. I was excited because it was a night out with Mike and we got to dress up! ha! The other cool thing was Lou Holtz was the featured speaker. I've always admired him....mainly because Regis Philbin spoke so highly of him. =-) The walk away message was 1. Always do the right thing. 2. Do your best. and 3. Be kind to others. He talked about a positive attitude and how we should build each other up and not tear each other down. I really had a wonderful evening.

I still miss Haiti and the kids at 3A's. I am trying not to lose the "high" that I experienced when I returned. I long to go there again.

Karen

doctor appointment

Just had another appointment with my Oncologist, Dr. Ruehlman. I have been having pain in my left hip for a couple weeks. I think it's just arthritis, but he wanted to do an x-ray. Sitting on kid sized chairs last week and sleeping on a foam mattress seemed to make it hurt worse by the end of the week.

I have been thinking a lot about the word HOPE! There is so much we HOPE for in life and we are nothing without HOPE. I HOPE that cancer doesn't return; the children at Three Angels in Haiti HOPE for a forever family; Kait and Nick have HOPE that God will bless them with their future spouses; Mike HOPES his job will slow down and he can not work as many hours; Tim has HOPE that the Simpson's Show will never end; Julia has a HOPE of going back to Russia one day and seeing her biological mom. Romans 8:25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

Karen

more on haiti

Haiti from the air

Hey everyone, it's Kaitlyn with a me update. Well, I definitely got thrown right back into my busy school routine, with an exam and other assignments this week. Every day has been kind of hard. Tuesday morning I was sitting in a lecture and just got totally overwhelmed, thinking there is no way I will be able to get everything done that is left to do this semester. It's scary when I look ahead and see all that's coming up.. so I'm trying to take it one week at a time and not think about everything at once.
Amidst the busy routine, I'm still trying to process my experience in Haiti. This might sound weird, but something I prayed before I went last week was that God would break my heart for the country. I wanted my eyes, my ears, my heart, and my mind to be opened so that I could really see and understand the sad situations I would see there. I don't really know if that happened, I mean it didn't really happen in the way I thought it would. Some of the time I even felt closed off a little bit. I feel like in August I experienced more compassion and emotion towards the children and the things I was seeing. Which is weird, since this time I really wanted to feel and experience with my heart.
God did bring experiences of heartbreaking situations last week. On Tuesday, we visited Mother Theresa's orphanage and hospital. I will never forget the images of the hospital and the feeling I had while I was there. There were rooms with rows of cribs with sick, skinny children, many of them crying. Right when we got to the hospital, I started feeling really sick, so I went to sit in a rocking chair that was right next to the bathroom. That's when a little boy came walking down the hallway, sobbing, and I held my arms out to him and said "veni" (come) and he came to me. His wristband told me his name was Joovenky, and he was 2 1/2 years old. I don't know what sickness he has, but he was really skinny and fragile looking. I spent the whole time with him, mostly sitting with him because I didn't feel good enough to stand. It's interesting that this was the time I started feeling so bad.. in a sense, I got to identify just a tiny bit with these suffering kids. I know when I feel normal, I forget how yucky it feels to be sick, so in a way it was good that I felt bad while I was there. When we had to leave, Joovenky started sobbing again:( It was hard to go.

Naitine

On Wednesday, we experienced another heartbreaking situation. I was sitting outside, and there was a little girl amongst the kids who was crying really hard. I found out from the nanny that her name was Naitine, and she was new and crying because her mom had just left. Naitine let me hold her for a little while, and she fell asleep for awhile. When she woke up, she got right off my lap, and just stood in the courtyard sobbing. She wouldn't let anyone come near her, she was inconsolable. It was so hard to see this firsthand, a little girl left at an orphanage and separated from her mommy because she couldn't take care of her. Naitine's hair had an orange tint to it from malnutrition. By that afternoon, she was doing better, but the next day her mom came to visit. When she had to leave again, Naitine threw a fit of crying and screaming, not wanting anyone to come near her or comfort her. It was heartwrenching. Please pray for Naitine! Pray that she would experience God's comfort, peace, and love in this time where she just wants her mommy. Pray that if she is available for adoption, that God would lead a family to adopt her and restore the love and attachment she had with her mom.

A Special Trip for Kait and Mom

I'm not sure where to begin sharing my experience in Haiti. I do know that it has changed me in a powerful way. I feel filled with the Holy Spirit and blessed by my experience. I am thankful to have a husband who supports me and also a sister-in-law and brother-in-law who were willing to come down and help out while I was gone.

I thought I would start by sharing photos of Kait and I at various times throughout the week. (disclaimer: I didn't always wear my fish dress)

Kait and I at South Beach in Miami. We spent a couple hours at the beach.
On the bus from Port Au Prince Airport to the Orphanage.

Kait had to sit on my lap for this TapTap ride. It was very hot.

Kait and I at New Hope Orphanage. Kait's new friend Marie C..... something took this photo. The little girl Kaitlyn is holding is named Gigi. This orphanage was in a beautiful location up in the mountains. You could see the Caribbean Sea and the beach.

We are on the balcony of New Hope Orphanage.

Yes, I'm "glowing" with perspiration. Kaitlyn isn't. Could have been a hot flash!

Leaving Port Au Prince. It was a great trip!

unpacking haiti

Wow. We are back from Haiti. I don't really know where to begin writing about the week I just experienced. It's overwhelming to come back, and I feel like there's so much to "unpack" from my time there. Being back in the United States now, it's weird to think that yesterday morning I was in Haiti. They feel like two completely different worlds. To go from the poorest country in the western hemisphere back to the US.. it's just hard to wrap my mind around. Because it's the same world, the same human race, but it's so different. The life I know here is not anything like the life Haitians know. I'm sitting in my own bedroom, in a nice house, on my computer, with wireless internet, using electricity that will not shut off, drinking clean water that I could have in abundance, with a full stomach, my own car sitting outside, 7 months from earning a college degree. I did laundry today with a washer and dryer, and I took a hot shower. If I got sick tonight, I could go to the hospital that is 5 minutes away and know I would be taken care of. All I have to do is lock my front door at night to feel safe, and if anything happens I can call the police and know they will come. All of these things, and I'm sure there are more, they are just part of the life and world that I know. If I were an average Haitian, none of the things I listed would be part of my world. So, yeah.. I guess my point is that it's hard to assimilate the two places in my mind, to go from being here to being there for a week and now here again. To be in two places that are so drastically different yet the same - the same world created by God, with people created in the image of the same Father. It's craziness. So yeah, those are the thoughts about the world that Haiti conjures up and I'm trying to process in my mind..

Anyway, moving onto my actual experience there! It was so great to go back to Three Angels and see the kids again! I liked the "second time" experience, because I got there and I recognized almost all the faces and remembered a lot of names. I knew generally what to expect around there and felt comfortable. The kids are all so awesome and fun.. they just bring me joy:) Jonathan remembered me! Right when we got there on Saturday, he was sitting outside, and he saw me and got a big smile on his face and went to me. Then, every time I went up to the nursery, he would see me and get that big smile and crawl right to me. It was so encouraging to see how happy he is now! In August, I didn't see him smile until the third day with him, and in general he was discontent. Last week, I saw him smile and laugh countless times, and he crawls around and plays on his own. Wow, I need to remember how good God is.. when I left Haiti last time Jonathan didn't have a family.. and now, he gets to meet his mom and dad in a few weeks!! Yay! I also spent a good amount of time with Monthania (her nickname is Matu) and just fell in love with that little girl. She has the best smile! I enjoyed using the Creole I've been learning. I don't know a ton, but enough to communicate a little with the kids, which was really cool. I think it's such a great language and I can't wait till the day I'm fluent in it!

I definitely have more to write about, but I'm exhausted, so this will have to be a "to be continued.." Goodnight!

Monthania all ready for preschool!

I love this picture of Jonathan! Look how happy he is!