HAVE YOU.....
Looked at your child lately and cried a tear of joy??? I did tonight. Today was one of those emotion filled days for me. I thought of how much I LOVE my husband and my daughters, how much I MISS my Daddy, how much I LOVE my Mom and pray for God to heal her, and looked deep into Derek's eyes and saw the LOVE reflecting back at me that I have for him. I am so THANKFUL to GOD for the blessings he has bestowed upon myself and my family.
Tonight as I rocked Derek to sleep I shed a tear of JOY for being blessed to have him in our lives and our home.
Look deep into your child's eyes today and feel the love so deep within your heart. It feels so good.
I have vowed to myself that I will begin writing the book my husband believes I should write. I will fill it with the trials and joys of our adoption experience. Be watching for it!!!

OUR CHRISTMAS MORNING.....

It was a late night Christmas Eve and all the creatures seemed to be stirring in the house. Everyone was so full of the Christmas excitement that it took a little extra time to get everyone snuggled under their covers. Once we accomplished that feaat "Santa" & I set out for the gift hideaway. After about 6 trips up and down the steps the gifts were ready to be arranged under the tree and I could finally snuggle into my own bed for a restless night of sleep.
Morning rose and our little alarm clock (Derek) woke us at the same time as every day. 8:00 came way too early that day. We snuggled in bed a little until both the girls were stirring about. We decided to attack our piles of gifts in our jammies this year. Derek was so excited when he seen all the gifts but he still asked to watch Elmo rather than open them. Once we got him started though he just kept rippin' and tearin'. He had a great time. The girls got lots of great things that they liked this year for a change. I cooked Christmas dinner for us and we just had a family day with our Best Gift Of All....Derek!!!! Norm and I spent alot of hours in the day jmust looking at Derek and reflecting on how happy we are to have him in our home and family finally!!!! What a WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS!!!!!
After a 2 hour nap Derek woke and we headed to Norm's family to have Christmas with them. More gifts to open and food to eat!
On Friday we went about our work days as usual and at supper time we headed to my Mom's to have Christmas with her and my Brother & Nephews. More gifts....more food!!!! We had a wonderful time this holiday having Derek in our lives!!!!

WE WISH YOU A
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Now Santa must get some much needed rest before the sleigh needs filled!

"Big D" Got His Second Christmas Present In The Mailbox Today.....

THANKS MAX!!!!
He loves the book but really LOVES the picture! He can't stop looking at it and carrying it around. Great idea your Mommy had on that one!!!!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

Derek Opens His First Christmas Gift.....

Thanks Barb & Alan. He loves them. This is his first Thomas pieces as well and I love the Chinese Dragon car. It is perfect!!!!!
Here's a little video coverage of the event.....

Didn't like the cookies in the last post????

How about some "Lick & Stick Peanut Blossoms" instead????

Anyone Care For A Christmas Cookie??????

Derek helped bake Christmas cookies on Sunday. We loved watching him lick the sugar off his fingers and then......"Double Dip" to decorate the next one. Oh well what's a little toddler slobber???!!!!

CHUGGA, CHUGGA..CHOO, CHOO....

OFF WE GO!!!!!!

Saturday we boarded the local Polar Express with my brother and nephews for a fun ride on the rails. Big D's first train ride!!!! The evening began with a light snowfall as we traveled to our destination to board the train. We stopped by KFC for a quick bite to eat and then poured ourselves back into the van to meet Ken & the boys. When we arrived at the train Derek was awestruck. The train was decked out with icicle lights and with the snow the mood for a winterland train ride was set. Ken knew the owner/engineer making it quite an advantage for us. Instead of sitting in a passenger train car with kerosene heaters we got Deluxe seating in the Dining Car which had just been restored. It was heated and absolutely Beautiful!!!! We traveled miles and laughed and watched out the windows for Christmas decorations on the houses we passed. Derek had the time of his life!!! Well at least until the Big SURPRISE......Santa just happened to come along. Now hear me out, Derek was not afraid of Santa at all but that darn reindeer he brought along was a whole other story. Made Derek scream bloody murder!!!! Once the reindeer trotted away though Derek was back to enjoying the ride. After we arrived back at the station we poured into that van once again and headed to......Dunkin Donuts for a little hot cocoa and of course a doughnut!!! What an enjoyable night!!!! Here's a few pics to check out!!!

GIVE THANKS......

Today as we gather around the table of feast we will give many thanks for the riches in our lives. Our children being the number one thanks. We especially are so very thankful to have Derek home with us for this special holiday. Each year at Thanksgiving we prayed for God to bring Derek home to us soon and this year we have been truly blessed to listen to him run through the house with so much happiness and energy. Thank You God and all who prayed with us.

This year we will be praying especially for my mom as she prepares for her surgery and upcoming battle of her breast cancer. We ask that you will please pray with us as well.

Last night we had friends over and we looked through our pictures from our travel to Vietnam. We were so saddened by the many pictures depicting to our friends the poverty in some areas. Many of the people lived in tin shacks like these. We are so thankful for our comforts of home....be thankful for yours too.

So gather around your loved ones and your holiday meal and be Thankful for the many riches God has blessed your life with.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

SNOWY DAY PICTURES.....

Norm & Derek headed out into the snowy world on Saturday. Derek loved the nuisance white stuff. He didn't want to come back inside. They had a great time.

Just an update to our prior post concerning my mom...
Her surgery is scheduled for December 10th.

Oh, The Weather Outside Is Frightful.....

After an entire day of snow yesterday and through the night fortunately for us we only ended up with about 4 inches of the fluff. Derek loved watching it! We took him for boots tonight so he can play in it tomorrow. Yesterday I picked up a new hat and mittens for him. Here's a picture of all 3 of the kiddos in their winter hats.....

WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS......

My mom, Shirley Snyder, was diagnosed on Wednesday with Breast Cancer. I am asking that you lift her up to the Lord in your prayers. She is in fair health otherwise so she has strength to fight with but the tumor is large and further progressed than we knew. She is going to be having alot of appointments coming up in the next few weeks and will need to make a decision as to how she wants to attack the cancer. Please pray for my brother as he is not accepting it and he just tries to avoid it. Please pray for me as I will be the primary caretaker and will be trying to keep the salon functioning, run her to appointments for surgery and treatments and such, and continue to be a mom to the girls and now Derek as well. I am completely exhausted and some days I wonder how I get behind the wheel of the van and get to my destination. Once I get there I often look back wondering if I paid any attention to the traffic signals or the other vehicles on the road. please pray for strength and faith for all of us through this.

Thank You!!!! Teresa

If you would like to send a card of encouragement her address is:

Shirley Snyder

166 Culp Road

Sunbury, PA 17801

She needs your encouragement and prayers. Just jot a note that you are a follower of our blog and she'll be thrilled to hear from you!!!!

Just a few too cute pics from today with "Big D"!!!!!

FUN, FUN, FUN......



It's all I can say about our trip to Pitt!!!!!



We loaded into the van bright and early (5:30 am) Saturday morning and headed for the west. We hooked into the GPS (Lucy) and tore out of the driveway. What a trip!!! All was going well until we hit bumper to bumper traffic which delayed us a little over an hour. I hate traffic. Good thing Norm is the driver!!!! We arrived safely at Matt, Lauren, & Max's house around 11:30. WOW....What a BEAUTIFUL home! She is one fantastic decorator. We had an absolute blast with them!!!
We met so many people....Lauren's mom, Patti and family, and Diane and her family. We thought it was a little weird when people we never met before walked into the house and knew us instantly. Blogger world is so huge!!!!!

The boys were a little shy of each other at first but once they got groovin with the toys they played like old times. It was so great to watch them together. They really have a uniqueness to both of them. Max is so easy going and willing to give up anything in his hands. Derek is the fighter, he wanted whatever Max had in his hands.

Then it was time to throw a little cutie into the mix. Diane, Eric & Gwen came over. If you all remember Diane was our original case manager. She got us through so much. It was so wonderful to finally meet her and her family. Gwen was just so happy playing with all of the toys and she didn't really care if the boys joined in or not. She is a living doll. Diane loved meeting Derek & Max. I must admit when I met Diane I was awestruck. I never realized she was so young. WOW...she really hasa way of dealing well with us older folks going through the trials of adoption. I had to actually look away from her a few times and listen to her talk to convince myself that it was really her. After only speaking on the phone her voice was all I knew. That and a picture on the agency website that made her look about 10 years older than she is. What a great lady!!!!!

We went to "The Incline" to ride the trolly car and we did a little shopping and some lunch at the railroad square. It was great. A snowy and cold day but friends warm every day so we didn't mind at all.



I'll leave you with a few pictures.

TAKING A LITTLE DRIVE THIS WEEKEND.....

We are planning a little (5 hour) drive to Pittsburgh this weekend to pay a visit to Derek's Vietnam Buddy....Max!!!!! We are so excited to see how they react to each other. It has been a while but we have been very diligent in showing pictures of the other 3 tykes who shared a crib together with Derek.

My mom has some medical issues that I will get into further on here if need be (just please pray for her this week) so if all goes well she will be doggy sitting and we will be cruisin our way to the west.

Watch for some great pictures!!!!!

FALL....Leaves are such a pile of fun!!!!!

The weather here has been unseasonably warm and we decided today that it was time to head out for a little fun in the leaves. Norm raked a big pile and Derek was uncooperative in having pictures taken in them. He had a good time though.

Just stopping in while I hve a few minutes to update you all......

Last night we dressed Derek in his costume and headed out Trick Or Treating. He wasn't fond of the costume at all until he realized that if he holds out his pumpkin and smiles really sincerely that there will be a pile of "loot" dropped in. He soon learned to like it all. I will try to post some "happy" costume pics later. When you ive in the country T or T'ing last for a whole week. Tomorrow night we are heading to a Halloween Parade locally.

Today we had snow flurries and sleet so Derek got to see the "yucky white stuff" for his first time. He thought it was cool and kept watching out the window and pointing. I am not a cold weather girl so I refrained from teaching him how to catch the flakes on his tongue today. Plenty of winter left for that.

Here's a few pictures to hold you over til the next update.

I should also include in this post that we got Derek's Certificate of US Citizenship and we went to the local court house yesterday to officially change Derek's name and get him a new Birth Certificate. We will apply for his SS # next week so we can apply for insurance.

DEREK IS A LOCAL CELEB !!!!!!
A local newspaper contacted us to do a story about our adoption experience and we gratefully responded....YES!!!! Norm's sister had adopted 4 years ago so ourstories are linkedtogether in the articletiltled "Adding To The Family". Check it out below.....

Adoption is all in the
family for two local
couples.
Norman and Teresa Lahr of Dornsife adopted
their son, Derek, from Vietnam in
September. Norman's sister, Cheryl
Weaver, and her husband, David,
Herndon, adopted their daughter,
Joanna, in April 2004.
Teresa, who has two daughters,
Alyssa, 16,and Jessica, 12,from a previous
marriage, is unable to have
more children.
"I wanted to give Norm the experience
of being a dad," she said.
The Lahrs started looking into
adoption inAugust 2006 to See if it
Was a good option for them;
"It's not something you just jump into.
We did a lot of research," Norman said.
After six months, they heard about a
newborn who had been abandoned on
the 'doorstep of an orphanage in Da
Nang,Vietnam. The paperwork involved
in international adoptions, however,
slowed the process to a snail's pace.
"We 'learned about him when he
was 3 moriths old," Teresa said. "We
brought him home at 20months."
Cheryl and David Weaver also
expanded their family through adoption,
but took a different approach.
Their daughter, Joanna, 4, joined the
family as a newborn in April 2004
through a domestic open adoption. '
"She was born in Harrisburg,"
Cheryl said.
The Weavers decided a local adoption
was a better option for them.
"We wanted to see what was available
domestic," Cheryl said.,"It's a lot more
to adopt internationally than domestic.
We believed if God had someone domestic,
He'd lead us and He did."
Overcoming challenges
The Lahrs' flight to pick up their
son was long as well.
"We spent 30 hours on the plane, 40
hours with layovers," Teresa said.
Traveling to a country that once had
negative associations with Americans
was an added challenge for the couple.
"We were frightened at first, going
to another country, but everyone was
extremely friendly," Teresa said.
Everyone from the taxi drivers to
the orphanage staff helped make the
Lahrs feel comfortable in a strange
country, they said. Seeing their son
peeking through the courtyard gate at
the orphanage made it all worthwhile,

"He was always the first one at the gate,"
Norman said.
The Lahrs spent three weeks getting
acquainted with the child, which proved to
be a challenge. Derek was so used to the
orphanage, the caretakers and the other children
that he screamed every time the Lahrs
took him out for a walk. He also cried at the
adoption ceremony when he realized he was
leaving the only home he's every known.
"He was petrified; he was afraid of us,"
Teresa said.
A month after leaving Vietnam, Derek
seems to have adjusted well.
He runs around the Lahrs' kitchen,
pushing his high chair like a truck. A typi-
cal toddler, he is curious about everything,
from a camera on the counter to toys scat
tered among the dining room chairs.
He understands English as if he's heard
it all his life, and speaks a handful of
words, Teresa said.
He blows kisses or waves to say goodbye,
and his mischievous grin revealsthe charmer
he is quickly becoming.He loves his older sisters,
and follows them everywhere they go.
"When they come home from school, he
just starts screaming and runs right to
them," Teresa said. "They really enjoy
him, and he enjoys them."
Life with a toddler is busy, Norman said.
"Chaos," Teresa added. "It's a big adjustment."
The move was also an adjustment
for Derek.
"It was a month before he was comfortable
with us," Teresa said.
Derek also learned to adjust to his new surroundings.
He didn't play outside much at the
orPhanage, and had never seen grass before.
"He was afraid of it," Teresa said.
For toddlers, however, playtime trumps
fear. Derek enjoys playing with toy cars
and exploring the Lahrs' spacious home.
"He loves to run," Teresa said.
The Lahrs almost lost the opportunity
to share their home with Derek. The adoption
agency with which they were working
went bankrupt shortly before they were
scheduled to fly to Vietnam to get him. The
case workers, however, continued to work
independently to finish the adoption process
for the Lahrs and several other families.
Norman and Teresa, with the help of
family and friends, raised money to cover
expenses normally covered by the agency.
"It's amazing how your community can
come together for you," Teresa said, grate-
ful for the support.
There is still more work to be done,however.
In order to getDerek a Social Security number,
the Lahrs will have to complete an additional
adoption process in the United States.
Despite the challenges, the Lahrs are
open to adoption in the future.
"I would do it again in a heartbeat,"
Teresa said.

"Keep on telling friends and
family that you're willing to
adopt; that's how we actually
got connected with Joanna's
birth family. "
International adoptions have grown dramatically
since the 1990s.In 1997,13,620chil-
dren were adopted from other countries,
more than twice the number of children
adopted internationally only five years earlier.
By 2007,that number had risen to 20,000,
according to the U.S.Department of State.
Norman and Teresa agreed to adopt a
child from another country instead of trying
to find one in the United States for several
reasons. They are glad they won't
have to worry about his birth parents trying
to take him back.
"That's kind of what we wanted; that's
ideally why we went international," Teresa
said.
They also wanted an Asian child.
"Socially, they are more accepted in our
area," Teresa said.
They also wanted to help a child from a
less fortunate country.
"You see it on television, but you don't realize
how bad it is until you get there, so we
took a child away from that," Norman said.
International adoptions gained popularity
after World War II, when many children
were orphaned by wars in Europe and
Japan. The trend continued after the civil
war in Greece in the late 1940s,the Korean
War and the Vietnam War, according to the
Evan B.Donaldson Adoption Institute. More
than 250,000children from other countries
were adopted by Americans between 1971
and 2001,most of them coming from Asia.
Norman and Teresa plan to teach Derek
about his heritage, a lesson he is already
learning.
Derek, who will turn 2 in January, seems
to already understand differences in race.
He first made the distinction during a visit
to a local restaurant where many of the ~
servers are Asian.
"He kept saying the same word over and
over to our waitress; I think he was trying
to talk to her in Vietnamese," Teresa said.
Teresa sees no difference between her
connection to her biological children and
her connection to Derek. .
"I will always see him as my own child,"
she said. -
"I love him," Norman added.
In God's hands I~
Joanna is the Weavers' only child. .
"We just wanted to have someone we could share our love with," Cheryl said.
They had considered adoption for five

years before Joanna entered their lives, and
like Norman and Teresa, had endured the
long process of paperwork and waiting.
"We had done probably two or three years
of working with an agency; just waiting for
a domestic adoption and nothing ever came
about," Cheryl said. The Weavers wanted to
adopt a newborn or very young child, however,
many domestic adoptions involve older
children in the foster care system.
The number of imants available for private
adoption has been dropping, according
to the Donaldson institute. Reasons
include increased access to contraception,
legalization of abortion and increased
social acceptance of single parenthood.
Between 1989 and 1995,1.7 percent of children
born to single white women were
adopted, a significant drop from the 19.3
percent born before 1973.
The Weavers were ready to try another
agency when they heard al::>9ut.J.oanna:s
mother through a friend. The family's quest
to adopt a child quickly gained speed.
"In four months, we were mom and dad.
It went very fast," she said.
The Weavers encourage prospective
adoptive parents to network.
"Keep on telling friends and family that
you're willing to adopt; that's how we actually
got connected with Joanna's birth
family;" she added.
The Weavers still have contact with
Joanna's birth family.
For the first year and a half as parents,
the Weavers communicated with Joanna's
birth mother through letters. She now visits
Joanna on holidays.
Cheryl understands some adopting parents
are concerned about losing the child to
the birth parents, but was assured by the law.
"I see no threat at all because once they
sign their rights away, there's no going
~ back," she said. "It was a very pleasant,
, very happy adoption."
The Weavers' experience with adoption
was not without some concern. Even after
birth parents signed the agreement to terminate
their parental rights, the Weavers waited
six months for the process to fmalize.
"The first week or so, I didn't want to
answer the phone," Cheryl said.
Then, David and Cheryl put their faith
in God.
"We went to church the next Sunday and
the sermon was for me: God is in control,
don't worry. It'll all work out, and it did.
Everything was fine," she added.
As any family with a newborn understands,
fine means busy, too.
"The first year,was a big adventure but we
just trusted in God that He would see things
through, and He did," Cheryl said. "It is a
roller coaster,but it's a fun roller coaster." .
The ride has been worth it for the Weavers.
"She's our little angel from Heaven,"
Cheryl said.

Our Rookie RaceCar Driver/Mechanic.....
I know you;ve been waiting to see the "Big Guy" cruisin' in his new wheels so here it is!!!! It really is worth watching the whole 4 minutes...trust me!!!

After reading an email from our friends complaining that our dog must be getting tired of Derek dragging her around after watching it on our blog for 2 weeks I decided I better get busy typing something new.

It has been cooler here than I like but the past few days jumped up to 75 and it feels just right. So right Jessica & I took Derek outside for the afternoon yesterday and he discovered that he has a really cool sliding board, a 4-wheeler, a Sit N Spin, and the mother of all toys.....A COZY COUPE!!!!! He has been trying o decide if it is cooler to open the doo and slide into the drivr seat or go at it "Dukes Of Hazzard" style and climb through the window. He has been successful on both so we'll have to watch over the next few days and see what wins.

He is sleeping well and has finally foundhis contentment with us. We are having so much fun with him. He is still fearful of other people. He likes children but shys way from the adults. It's only been a month with us so I know it is going to take some longer time yet until the comfort zone is all cozy. It's okay though, in the meantime I plan to protect him in every way.

I am going to leave you with these playtime pictures.....

This is worth seeing....

I tried to emauil this out to our friends and family but it didn't work. It was too big of a file. So CHECK IT OUT HERE!!!!!
We were told that Derek is very afraid of dogs and we seen that when we brought him home to Tinka. Neitherone really cared much for the other. Well after 1 week of living under the same roof and abiding by the same rules look what happened.....

Livin' A Toddler's Life.....
Wow....I forgot all about what a toddler can put you through. This little guy is one active character. He is constantly going and going. Hates naps. Hates bedtime even more. He is so much fun to play with and very funny at times. He is pretty easy going when it comes to hopping into the car and taking off. Just don't sit in traffic any length of time since he soon let's you know how much he hates that. He is starting to say some words for us. He says...Hello, Bye-Bye, Thank You, Tinka (our dog), Momma, Ba (daddy), Kitty, Puppy, Yummy. He is getting a vocab!!!! He has attached tremendously to the girls. They play for hours. Yesterday we went to Jess's basketball game and Alyssa's field hockey game and he had a blast. It is kinda cold here so that is something new for him. Donned with a hoodie and jeans he had cold patties and ears at the game. He likes to clap and cheer when the girls do something good. Pretty cute!!!! He waves bye bye to everyone and loves to blow kisses.
He still screams at the top of his lungs when it is bedtime. Bathtime is fun but I end up quite wet. Last night was the first night he slept in his crib all night long. It felt good not to hold him all night. That makes my arms tired. Usually bedtime is Norm's turn. e does really well with listening to the screaming. Has much more patience than I.
Monday we went to the doctor for his check up and he got a good report. In the 50% range on American charts for his age and size. WOOHOO!!!! He had to get 5 shots which he took quite well. I'm sure when we go back in 4 weeks his memory of the experience will grant us a different reaction. he was very brave though. He didn't really like the doctor checking him out though.
Yesterday we took him to the Bloomsburg Fair to see the animals. He loved the BIG horses and the chickens. He liked the noises they made. Now he makes his arms like wings and says "bok-bok". CUTE!!!!!!
We are having trouble getting the dog to take an interest in him. He likes the dog and will put his hand out and click his tongue to gt her to come to him but Tink just doesn't care for him. We are a little unsure what we will do to break that ice. He wants to get down and run but Tink isn't used to that commotion and desn't like when he does it. She may have to find a new home even though I don't want to see her go. Any suggestions???
Well he is starting to get restless for Jessie so I better intervene and try to entertain him a little. I'll type more when I find time!!!!!

We made it home last night between 11 & midnight. We are so tired. Derek has regressed to when we first got him. He seems to only be content with Norm. He just cries when I take him. Like deja vu. I hate it!!! It is so hard for me. I guess I will probably drop a few more pounds as it makes me sick to my stomach to have him like this. I just can't console him. He seems to be enjoying the girls though which I am very happy about.
His Aunt Cheryl and cousin Joanna came to play a little this morning and he had a ball with them. Norm and Mae took him for a little ride to town. He is doing better than we expected with the carseat. Cries a little at first and then calms down quickly.
I am going to keep this short because I really need to get some sleep. I am so tired. I'll try to post some pictures tomorrow or Sunday.

FLIGHTS ARE BOOKED....

Our travel guru ,Todd, came through for us and got our flights booked to leave Hanoi tonight at 7:10. We are heading home!!!!
We will land in Harrisburg at 9:15 pm on Thursday night. Gonna be a long 2 days of flying with a toddler.
Cathay was fantastic about booking our seats in a way that we can have extra space for Derek to roam a little. He will be so restless. We are prayingfor lots of sleep. We are keeping him as active as possible at this point so that he sleeps on the plane rides. We will fly from Hanoi into Hong Kong then into Los Angeles and stay overnight there. Catch a morning flight from LA to Boston then to Harrisburg.

Watch for our return home!!!

WE'RE COMING HOME!!!!!!!!

We had our interview today at 2:30 for Derek's visa and after paying $400 and signing 2 documents we were issued a call tag to pick up his visa at 4:00 TODAY!!!! Loan will pick everyone's visa's up and bring them to the hotel and we will be all going out for a celebratory dinner. We are waiting to hear back from Todd about getting on the Wednesday night flight back home. WE ARE SO EXCITED TO BE BRINGING OUR SON HOME FINALLY!!!!!!

Once we check out of here tomorrow night we will be dormant from the blog for a few days until we settle in at home but as soon as we get on track we will blog again.

Pray for our safe and cry-free travels!!!!!!

So we are back from our trip to the US Embassy. A mass of paperwork sorting but we made it through yet another step. YEEEHAW!!!!!! Tomorrow at 2:15 we will have Derek's visa interview and on Wednesday morning we should have it in our hands!!!!! WOW....he'll legally be ours and able to come HOME!!!!!!! This is a great feeling. He is adjusted so well to both of us now. It was a struggle for a few days but the outcome has been fantastic. He is a beautiful little boy so full of life, laughs, and fun. Don't get me wrong he is still a screamer when he wakes up but we are hoping that will ease with time.

So I emailed Todd our travel guru already to give him a heads up that we are ready to return to the states and we are waiting to hear back from him as to how the flights will fall into place with the visa. Pray for a quick return without any problems and that Derek will tolerate all of the flight time without much crying.

THANKS EVERYONE FOR YOUR CONTINUED PRAYERS AND SUPPORT!!!!!!!

This morning we went to the SOS clinic for Derek's medical check up. He wasn't the happiest about it but he got a great report. He is 24 pounds and 34 inches tall. He cried for most of it. He is a strong little boy and I sweated trying to hold him down for the doctor to check him out. He recovered quickly though. This afternoon we are heading to the Embassy to file our paperwork and application for Derek's visa to come home. WOOHOO!!!!! We requested the interview appointment which will hopefully be tomorrow morning. If that is the case then we should be able to pick up his visa in the afternoon and call Todd to arrange our return HOME!!!!!! We are really hoping to be flying out of Hanoi on Thursday. WOW!!!!! So watch for details of our return here!

TOO CUTE.......

God has been very busy answering prayers from around the world for us today. The past few days have been a struggle for us with Derek as he really needs time to adjust and attach to us. Today we have a phenomenal breakthrough that only Prayers to God could produce. Derek has attached himself quite well to Norm which has been exhausting to him and I both. I feel helpless and insufficient. Today Derek made great strides in letting me hold him, play with him, carry him, feed him, and put him to sleep tonight. Thanks so much for your prayers even at 10,000 miles away from home God is answering them!!!!!!
Hopefully I will have time to post some great pics tomorrow.
Stay tuned....

G&R Pictures....

TODDLER LIFE IS TOUGH.....

I guess I had forgotten after 12 years just how tough toddlers can be. This has been so hard on Derek. He is very attached to Norm and we are trying to transition him into bonding with me as well but it has been quite a challenge. He is very strong willed and temperamental. The days are long and tiring hence not much action on the blog. We wake up anywhere between 4:30 and 6:30 and he refuses his formula so he hasn't had that since Tuesday morning. We get ourselves ready and head to breakfast around 8:30 or 9 to dine with whoever from the gang can make it. He loves scrambled eggs and fruit. We have been able to feed him congee and some baby food as well. Potty is a whole different story. We are having zero success on that. We try to spend a lot of our time in the afternoon at the pool since he seems to kinda like it there (except today). He is super cranky today as he has been eating like a trooper but hasn't had a BM since he is here. So today we gave him some good old Fletcher's and plenty of apple juice. He just laid down on Norm's chest on the bed and they are both sleeping soundly. A little early though (5:30) so I hope bedtime isn't going to be a major challenge. We found the easiest way to put him to sleep is to walk out by the pool where you can hear the waves from the sea and feel the cool breeze. Knocks him out about everytime. Hard on our backs though. He got a shower with Daddy today since he peed all over him. We are praying so hard that each day will get better.
On a side note....I had to have the hotel staff come twice now to remove geckos from our room. I hate the little critters. I'm waiting to see if tonight will be night number 3. They tell me the gecko is my friend. I prefer no lizards for friends.
I am going to try to upload a little slideshow in my next post for you all to check out!!!!
Please continue praying, We applied for Derek's passport today (big expense) and we are hoping to have them back by Friday. We will be checking out of the beautiful Sandy Beach Resort on Sunday and flying to Hanoi tocheck in at the Somerset Grand for the remainder of our stay. Please wish us well in travels as Derek doesn't like to sit. We acclimated him to walking and holding our hands tonight after days of back breaking pain. He did about 2 hours of walking for us. Not bad!!!! Guess tha't why he conked out quickly.

Here's THE Post You Have All Been Waiting For.....

It's 9:26 p.m. here in Danang Vietnam and Derek is FINALLY tucked safely into OUR bed. He is sleeping so soundly. It took him quite some time to calm down from the whole day but he fell asleep comforted and cradled in his daddy's arms. He seems to have a stronger attachment to his daddy than his mommy. Don't get me wrong I'm okay with that. I love to see Norm so happy!!!! Today is Father's Day for him.
We thank everyone for your continued prayers and we ask that you now pray for Derek's grief and mourning of the loss of his nannies to pass quickly. We pray that he will fell comfort and contentment with us now.
He is so beautiful!!!!! We can't wait to show him off!!!!!
Hung will apply now for his passport and we will head to Hanoi on Monday to have his medical exam and hopefully his visa interview on Tuesday and if God will be so gracious to us to be able to head for PA by the end of the week. I miss the girls so badly!!!!
I will leave you with a little video......

Brighter Days Are Happening....

We made a huge breakthrough with Derek today. He was much more receptive of our visit and played for long periods of time with us. He giggled so much!!!! We had a really fun day. I needed it after yesterday's visit. We met the OD today. She is great!!!!! She loves the children and they love her just as much! Ray went with us today and we were able to treat him to a great supper afterwards. It was really good to be with him over the past few days. He has a definate admiration for the families and the children.Hung has been great as well. He is right there to help us adjust and give pointers how to handle the crying. Hung's friend Quang did a few rounds of trips to the orphanage with us to translate as well. Very wonderful man with a great love for the children and their needs.
Today after a few hours of playing Derek reached up to me to pick him up. Once I had him in my arms he realized he made an oops. He cried as usual then. But it was for a very brief moment a truly heartwarming and wonderful feeling. I LOVE HIM!!!!!
This was the last day we will see him until the G&R on Monday afternoon at 3. Please continue to pray for us. Pray that God will wrap his comfort around Derek and that he will allow us to hold him and comfort his needs and fears.He is such a beautiful little boy so full of life and energy and loads of laughs.
Tonight I packed his diaper bag and a bag to be taken to the orphanage by Jim & Teresa that has his G&R clothing in it. He will look so cute!!!! We will have a dinner with the nannies after the ceremony and be able to share our gifts with them. We are excited about that.
Well I've got to get some sleep. I'll try to post a few more pics tomorrow!!!

A peek at our first meeting with Derek!!!!!

Here's A Taste Of The Good Life.....

It is a struggle but hopefully each time we are with Derek it will get easier. He is content having us sit near him as long as we don't touch him. In this video he was actually allowing himself to succumb to sleep after the struggle of crying and kicking for what seemed like hours to me. This is a very hard reaction for me to handle. I have cried many, many tears over this process.

Can You Say G&R???????

Well the good news is that WE FINALLY CAN!!!!!!! Our G&R is set for Monday at 3:00. We will be going to the orphanage tomorrow morning again and then hopefully Saturday the kids will come to the hotel for a little pool party. Hopefully a good icebreaker.
Monday Derek will be OURS!!!!!!
We will stay in DaNang til Thursday then head to Hanoi to finish up all of the paperwork. We expect to be there for about 10 days.
This deserves a BIG WOOHOO!!!!!!
Many CONGRATS to the Michelle & Jeff, Lauren & Matt, & Teresa & Jim!!!!! WE MADE IT GUYS!!!!!!
Continue to pray as there is still much transition for Derek following the G&R.
THANKS to ALL for your prayers, thoughts, and well wishes!!!!!

Another Video.....

How about a little video????.....

Since we are having so much trouble getting connected to our email we have created new email accounts. If you would like to have or new emails please leave a comment plus your email address in the comments section at the end of this post.
Thanks!
Norm & Teresa

Look Who We Met.....

Is he not the cutest!!!!!!! Derek is such a happy little boy except when we tried to hold him. He is extremely fun and loves to play with toys. He LOVES books!!!!! Very intelligent. He can figure things out quickly and he is very curious.