Our Life With A Toddler Named Derek

2009-09-19T20:01:00.002-04:00

Dealing with a medical emergency with my brother yesterday kept me from posting this.....

Yesterday Sept. 18th marked one full year of having Derek in the United States as a part of our family!!!
We are so thankful to have him!!!!

2009-09-08T08:24:00.003-04:00

Here is what our day looked like one year ago.....

HAPPY GOTCHA DAY 2009 DEREK!!!!!!

2009-09-01T16:35:00.006-04:00

SEPTEMBER 1, 2008 AT 3 pm WE SAW THIS LITTLE FACE PEEKING FROM THE ORPHANAGE GATE.....

HERE WE ARE ONE YEAR LATER, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009 AT 3 pm THIS IS THE LITTLE FACE LOOKING AT ME FROM MY LIVING ROOM COUCH

PRAISE GOD!!!!!!!

2009-08-28T17:43:00.004-04:00

SO MUCH HAPPENED FROM THIS DAY FORWARD....

It was one year ago today that we embarked upon a journey that would lead us to this beautiful country.....

To see for reality this beautiful face...

It has been a fun, enjoyable,yet some days challenging ride through this adventure but I wouldn't turn back in a second. We just look at Derek each day and thank God and our friends and family for each day we share with him.

2009-08-25T21:38:00.002-04:00

I think I can confidently say that.... Derek is potty trained. He even did a poo in the potty today!!! WOOHOO!!!!

Daycare is going quite well. He usually wants to stay when I get there for him. He loves the kids. Even though they were all in their little cots sleeping when we left today he still waved goodbye to each of them. So cute!!!!!

I am campaigning for prayer again for my mom. She got a report to day that her liver enzymes are quite high and that she will need to have a full body cat scan on Monday. We are scheduled to get the results for that on Sept. 8th. We are hopeful that it is a fluke in the lab or that it is caused by her new medication. Please remember her.

Tomorrow Derek, the girls, and I are heading out to Hershey for a day of back to school shopping. I am NOT looking forward to it!

2009-08-14T12:46:00.002-04:00

SHOULD I OR SHOULDN'T I......

I am almost afraid to put this in writing but after Day 2 of success I would like to brag about the potty training with Derek. We started really getting serious about it this week. I seem to keep it under control here at home but when he goes to work with Norm all hell breaks loose. I guess Daddy needs to get tougher. Anyway we have been doing what a few other blogging parents have done...PANTSLESS!!!! IT WORKS!!! He realizes there is nothing there to catch what is coming out and he runs for the potty. We even did a short road trip today in UNDIES and he stayed DRY!!!! A big WOOHOO to Derek!!! So we are almost "Potty Trained". Derek will start daycare Tuesday and it was my goal to have this accomplished by then. We'll see.....

2009-08-09T21:58:00.001-04:00

As I looked back through the archives of Derek's adoption process I realize that it was one year ago today that we made our decision to travel to Vietnam at the end of August 2008 regardless of whether there was a decision made by the Vietnamese government or not. We needed to be there....we needed to fight for our son!!!!!

2009-08-07T22:01:00.002-04:00

WOOHOO.....A BREAKTHROUGH!!!!!!

Dialogue on our ride home from the amusement park tonight:
Derek: Mommy
Me: Derek
Derek: Mommy
Me: Derek
Derek: Mommy
Me: Big D
Derek: Daddy
Norm: What
Derek: Mommy, Daddy...I LOVE YOU!!!!

Me & Norm...instant tears of joy. Our first time hearing Derek tell us that he loved us and for us to both enjoy it together was so awesome!!!!

He is the coolest!!!!!!

On the way to the park we were passing a McDonalds and Derek said: Mom
I said what Derek and as we passed by McDonalds and I looked back at him he pointed and said: HEY!
Probably the first time we passed a McDonalds without stopping for him to get a "CheeBurr"!!!!!

2009-08-07T15:49:00.002-04:00

Well we have decided to enroll Derek in the Daycare/Preschool Program just 1/2 mile from our home. It is a great little center with wonderful staff. He will start going 2 days a week for 4 hours per day and then increase to 2 full days and 1 half day in about 3 weeks when school starts for the girls. It was a hard decision but we feel he needs the structure and social time and also that he may take to learning there better than he is at home. They even potty train and have a super record of successes. We are working on it here at home but I think they have a better set of nerves than I. I am packing his bag of clothes and undies for his cubby and he starts on the 18th. We know he will love it and that it will be us who have to work through the tears and transition.

2009-08-07T15:37:00.003-04:00

As you all know I am trying hard to divert Derek's attention to racing. Any racing will do....Nascar or Dirt Track. Wednesday we found out about a local track in our area that Kasey Kahne would be holding a charity race event. I of course made the decision that we would be attending. We headed to Walmart early in the afternoon to buy ear protection for Derek (pictures below). He didn't want to take them off from the time we tried them on until the races ended. It was a struggle keeping them off of him. It all ended up that we sat 30 feet away from the flag stand where they had Kasey & Kyle Busch stand to do interviews. What a thrill to be so close. The race was awesome!!!!

2009-07-28T15:01:00.001-04:00

2009-06-04T10:44:00.004-04:00

CUTENESS.....

2009-06-03T18:23:00.002-04:00

We have had the wonderful opportunity of staying in close contact with 2 of the families we were fortunate to adopt with, The Haags, & The Harwells. This past weekend the Harwells flew into Pittsburgh, the Haag hometown, and we jumped into the van and drove to all meet again together since our stay in Vietnam. What a wonderful time. It was so surreal to all be together again and to now be able to share and compare stats about our children. The kids were so cute together and played as if there wasn't an eight month gap since being with each other. They had so much fun. It was hard to return home and even harder to say goodbye to the Harwells as we knew that would end our kids' time together for another period of time. Be sure you check out the matching outfits on the kids which they wore to the awesome BBQ that Matt & Lauren planned for friends and family. Thanks Lauren for the cuteness you created!!!

2009-05-26T15:59:00.001-04:00

Check out these beautiful pictures that Alyssa took on her Art Club field trip.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2013970&id=1394828307&l=2f4a4bb7e5

2009-05-21T12:15:00.002-04:00

RANDOM PICTURE POST....

Derek looking as cool as ever

Taking the "Caregiver /Survivor Lap" but Derek got tired and requested a lift

Derek's first ice cream cone

Looking Dapper!!!!

Alyssa being less than thrilled to head to the prom 2009

2009-05-21T11:11:00.002-04:00

Hey just passing on a great opportunity to all of you readers. Visit Laurie over at
http://www.goodhappenings.com/
and get in on the DadGear Giveaway she is offering. Not to mention she has a house full of delightful little ones and is alot of fun to blog with. She always has something amusing going on there!!!!

2009-05-04T20:19:00.002-04:00

A moment of thrill just came across me as I had a few moments to sit and think through my calendar of upcoming events.....
May 8th---My beautiful daughter will attend her 1st prom!!!!
May 10th--Mother's Day
May 12th--My mom's final chemo appointment!! YAHOO!!!!!!
May 30th--See Matt, Lauren & max & Jeff, Michelle & Linhly!!!!!
July 20th--Spending a week in sunny California with The Harwell's!!!! VERY EXCITED!!!!!

2009-04-17T17:17:00.004-04:00

Introducing The Future Pit Crew Tire Changer For The #17 Matt Kenseth Team......

We got Derek a workbench that has carpenter tools on one side and when you flip it you get a car engine to take apart and put together. I guess I don't need to tell you that Derek can do it in record time. It also came with this car that you can do repairs on and he learned how to change the tires quicker than I learned how to cut hair!!!! I am pretty sure that the #17 team will be recruiting him when he is old enough. Does anyone have a connection to Matt or his crew??? We would love to have Derek meet him (okay secretly it is me who wants to meet him). Huge Fan!!!!! Go Matt, or as Derek says Mo Matt!!!!!!

2009-04-13T21:17:00.002-04:00

LOOKING FOR A PLAYDATE.....

The swingset should be all done this week since the weather will be warmer. The house is invitingly fun and the picnic table just needs a few cutie pies gathered around it. Anyone interested?????

2009-04-13T21:11:00.002-04:00

Derek Hangin' With His Buddy (Pap-Pap)...

2009-04-13T21:04:00.003-04:00

Random ADORABLE pics.....

2009-04-13T20:59:00.002-04:00

DEREK"S FIRST ICE CREAM CONE

He wasn't too fond of this and didn't get very far with it. Guess I'll be having a fattening summer at the ice cream stand this year.

2009-03-24T16:00:00.003-04:00

DEREK'S FIRST EASTER EGG COLORING & EASTER EGG HUNT...

He even found a prize egg which supplied him with the big chocolate bunny he is chewing the ear off of.

2009-02-21T10:46:00.002-05:00

We have had so much going on and it is too much to talk about here. I just realized it has been almost a month since we blogged so I am going to leave you with a new picture of Derek until I have a little more time to write the novel.....

2009-01-31T19:00:00.003-05:00

Here's Derek showing his culture. We thought ths would be appropriate to wear for the Tet holiday!!!! I had to throw in this picture of him snapping a picture of Tinka with his camera that Santa brought him.

2009-01-30T13:03:00.003-05:00

I have been "face" inspired by Jenna over at Stoll My Heart. Thanks Jenna for taking such awesome pics of Ella since it has made me realize that taking a cute picture doesn't always mean it has to be posed. Here's one I took that I love!!!!

2009-01-29T19:26:00.002-05:00

Since there is no local Tet Celbrations in our area we had to "ad-lib" our own. Today Derek colored some pictures depicting the Holiday!!!! We also spent time browsing through our pictures from our adoption trip.

2009-01-27T16:19:00.001-05:00

HAPPY TET!!!!!!!

If you haven't read this article check it out......
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KA27Ae01.html

What is everyone doing to celebrate the Tet Holiday???? We are making ornaments and coloring pages about Derek's Vietnamese culture!!!!
Do something special with YOUR child!!!!!

2009-01-24T09:48:00.002-05:00

OK so here's how it all went down.....
Yesterday Norm's sister brought Derek's birthday gift by and it included Elmo Potty Time video. He loves Elmo and watched the video over and over. Well a miracle happened.....
Derek woke up with a completely dry diaper this morning and after alot of coaxing and teeth brushing he "PEED IN THE POTTY"!!!!!!WOOHOO!!!! Probably just a freak moment but I am going to brag about it for a little while!!!!

2009-01-16T09:52:00.003-05:00

Thursday Was A Day Of Fun For Derek, Mommy & Daddy.

We snuck away for the day to attend the annual PA Farm Show in Harrisburg. Derek loved seeing the HUGE tractors and he screamed with excitement everytime we got near one. The animals were something to look at for him but he didn't want to get too close. He again showed greater excitement when we checked out the chickens and the horses. The rest of the animals he just looked at but wouldn't pet. We toured, ate, and chatted with a few friends and then called it a day as we jumped back onto the shuttle bus and snuggled into the car for a restful ride home. Here's a few pictures we took on our adventure....

2009-01-09T20:45:00.001-05:00

HAPPY 2nd BIRTHDAY DEREK!!!!!!

Our beautiful boy is two today. Wow we can remember looking at his referral picture when he was just a tiny 3 months old. My how he has grown!!! He has become so comfortable and familiar here and it has made each day a new and EXCITING journey through his life. We are so thankful to God for bringing him home to us.

Dear Derek,
We waited such a long wait for you to be a part of our family. But each day with you all of that slowly fades into the background. It seems like you have been a part of our family from the day we looked upon your picture. We love you with all of our hearts and are so thankful to your birth country, your biological family, and your caregivers for all tht they have given to us in you. Most of all we thank God for bringing us all together. We will love you all of your life and we look so forward to watching you grow through the years.
Love,
DaDa & MaMa

2009-01-04T10:34:00.002-05:00

This morning in my inquisitive state of mind I decided to research if Vietnamese men grow facial hair since I recall all of the men I seen having nice smooth skin that didn't have "5 o'clock shadows". In my search I found this website http://www.vietventures.com/Info/Listen.asp. I immediately began playing one of the Vietnamese songs and Derek came right to the computer with a mystical look upon his face. He looked into my eyes and smiled and is totally enjoying the music. I believe that some of the words must sound familiar to him. I wish I had thought of this when we needed to comfort him 4 months ago. Anyway he is really enjoying this and Norm thought it would be great to make a CD for in the car for him. I immediately welled up with tears watching his reaction to the music and it made my heart happy to see him remember his culture!!!!

2009-01-01T20:21:00.003-05:00

Reflecting On Where We Were Last Year On This Day......

Oh what a wonderful day it was. Sunny, warm, full of fun. Oh, Where Were We????? Sunny California!!!!! Norm took me to Pasadena to spend a few days including New Year's Eve & New Year's Day with Michelle & Jeff. It was my first plane ride ever and I remember the excitement as if I were flying there as I write this. I couldn't wait to see Michelle again, I was anxious to fly and wouldn't you know it.....it snowed and iced that day. We ended up stuck in airports, flights delayed, canceled, and re routed but we managed to arrive safley in L.A. 8 hours late. Michelle tracked us the whole way there and they were waiting patiently at the aiport when we arrived. We got to go to the Rose Bowl Parade. So today as we watched the parade on tv we reflected back to remembering how much more beautiful those floats were in person. In reality I was a little heartbroken that we were stuck here this year. It'll be really fun going to Califonia this time around since we will have "Big D" to travel with us. We hope to invade the Harwell life with our whole family of 5 maybe this summer or fall!!!!!

2008-12-29T21:48:00.002-05:00

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!!!

2008-12-29T09:28:00.004-05:00

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!!!!

2008-12-24T18:06:00.002-05:00

WE WISH YOU A
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!

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

2008-12-20T12:02:00.003-05:00

"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!!!!!

2008-12-15T11:38:00.003-05:00

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.....

2008-12-15T11:03:00.003-05:00

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

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

2008-12-10T19:49:00.002-05:00

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???!!!!

2008-12-10T09:06:00.003-05:00

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!!!

2008-11-27T07:32:00.001-05:00

2008-11-27T07:22:00.002-05:00

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!!!!!!

2008-11-25T08:36:00.003-05:00

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.

2008-11-24T14:06:00.001-05:00

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

2008-11-21T22:22:00.002-05:00

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.....

2008-11-21T22:10:00.003-05:00

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!!!!

2008-11-19T14:07:00.002-05:00

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

2008-11-17T18:31:00.004-05:00

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.

2008-11-11T18:40:00.006-05:00

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!!!!!

2008-11-07T17:23:00.003-05:00

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.

2008-10-29T16:13:00.004-04:00

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.

2008-10-22T11:55:00.002-04:00

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.

2008-10-15T20:28:00.003-04:00

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!!!

2008-10-14T13:33:00.003-04:00

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.....

2008-09-29T17:04:00.003-04:00

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.....

2008-09-26T15:25:00.002-04:00

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!!!!!

2008-09-19T21:11:00.002-04:00

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.

2008-09-17T01:54:00.002-04:00

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!!!

2008-09-16T04:43:00.002-04:00

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!!!!!!

2008-09-15T06:25:00.002-04:00

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!!!!!!!

2008-09-15T02:21:00.002-04:00

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!

2008-09-13T10:37:00.003-04:00

TOO CUTE.......

2008-09-12T10:48:00.000-04:00

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....

2008-09-10T10:59:00.001-04:00

G&R Pictures....

2008-09-10T06:37:00.002-04:00

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.

2008-09-08T10:25:00.004-04:00

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......

2008-09-05T11:19:00.003-04:00

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!!!

2008-09-04T23:12:00.001-04:00

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

2008-09-04T19:43:00.001-04:00

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

2008-09-04T01:18:00.002-04:00

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.

2008-09-03T09:53:00.002-04:00

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!!!!!

2008-09-02T11:52:00.003-04:00

Another Video.....

2008-09-02T11:01:00.003-04:00

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

2008-09-02T05:48:00.002-04:00

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

2008-09-02T00:46:00.003-04:00

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.

2008-08-31T10:46:00.003-04:00

SAFELY NESTLED IN!!!!!

So we have been experiencing some problems with our internet access, hence the delay in blogging. We have very safe and well nourishing flights to get here. We probably ate more on our International flights than we do in a weeks time and we did it all within a 17 hour span. Fly the friendly skies of International travel and you will see.

It is definately TROPICAL here. It is so stinkin' hot and muggy.

Yesterday when we arrived we were greeted by Michelle running out of the lobby. No she wasn't trying to get away from us...she was actually pleased to see us!!! We rested up alot yesterday and the most strenuous thing we did was go out to dinner here at the hotel. We stayed in a quaint little bungalow the first night. Nice place that would have been even better had the geckos stayed away from our doorway. I was not a happy camper upon our return to our room from dinner. Like screaming. crying not happy!!!! I hate critters!!!!!!

Today we rose around 8 and started our day with a delicious breakfast buffet downstairs and then prepared for our afternoon. We went to Marble Mountain today. BEAUTIFUL!!!!! The architecture of that place is unbelievable. This mountain is made of marble and has many carvings all around it. We were in caves that were undescribable. We have tons of pictures which we will try to sort through here and choose the best ones. We tried out the pool after that HOT trek!! Very refreshing. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention we went to the spa with Michelle this morning too. Norm had a massage and I had a head treatment (massage). Not the most relaxing for me but it was nice anyway. I could relax alot more here if there weren't these darn geckos everywhere. Dinner was great tonight in the hotel and we are doing this posting and then off to catch our winks for our BIG day tomorrow!!!!! we will meet Derek tomorrow afternoon at 2. We are so excited to see the kids.

Here are a few pictures for youto gander at until we get some video uploaded.

2008-08-28T06:47:00.002-04:00

TODAY IS THE DAY.....

We are leaving Harrisburg International Airport at 3:30 this afternoon to begin our looooong journey to meet Derek and FINALLY bring him HOME!!!!!! What an exciting day.
I woke at 6am and got the girls up for school. Just finished making breakfast for them and soon they will head out the door. What a sad moment it will be!!!! I can't wait to come home to them already!
We will be leaving here at noon to head to the airport and do our check in thing and wait it out for the plane!!! My mom, Norm's mom & his sister Cheryl will be taking us to see us off. I don't know that my mom has ever been to the airport before in her life. This will be quite an experience for her.
Follow us today as we try to post as frequently as we can about our journey. I know we should be able to catch up with yo all when we get in to Hong Kong. Talk to you soon!!!!!

2008-08-27T10:32:00.002-04:00

When it rains it POURS.......

Many of you along with us have been anxiously waiting to hear when our G&R will be set for. Well once again another DELAY!!!! The OD's son broke his leg and she needs to be in HCMC for his surgery and has asked that our G&R be set for around the 9th or 10th of September. Doesn't seem that far away bt when you are longing to hold your child and spnd every moment with them it is an eternity.
The DOJ has passed our paperwork along with Michelle & Jeffs to the PC and it is anticipated that they would be requesting the G&R date by the end of this week or beginning of next. Hence our quick arrival in Danang as we were hoping to get there and the G&R would be set for the 1st week of Sept. As Michelle has stated it's not so bad being in Vietnam (at least it doesn't look to be yet) but having to visit Derek occasionally rather than to have him with us is the heartwrenching part. I'm not sure how difficult it will be to walk out of the orphanage without him in my arms on Monday (Oh Yeah....I forgot that part, we are set to visit the orphanage and meet Derek for the first time on Monday).
Please pray that we will be able to finalize the adoption no later than the 10th so we can be heading back to the states by the week of the 21st. That's my birthday week (what a great gift I will get this year) so coming home would be great. Also it is difficult being away from our jobs for so long. I was hoping to return to the salon on Oct. 7th but that will depend on when we arrive back home and get through a little adjusting to Derek and jetlag. I will be missing the girls more than ever too. i can't wait to see them when we return and we haven't even left yet. What does that tell you???
Tomorrow will be bittersweet as I kiss the girls goodbye for school as I will miss them so much (my heart hurts when I think about it) but it will be so fantastic to board that plane knowing we are bring our son home. Home where he will have a wonderful life full of love and joy!!!!!

Please keep us in your prayers as we travel. And again THANK YOU ALL for all you have done for us!!!!!

2008-08-25T21:57:00.003-04:00

NEW PICTURES......

Here's a few new pics from Michelle....

2008-08-22T18:42:00.002-04:00

I don't know where to begin.....

THANK YOU TO ALL who have blessed our adoption!!!!

We want to THANK everyone who has donated time, baked goods and yard sale items for our sale this weekend (which went very well today), monetary donations, listening ears, open hearts and especially PRAYERS!!!!!

You are all so special to our lives and you will be to Derek's as well.

May God Bless You as You Have Blessed Us!!!!!!

2008-08-22T18:31:00.003-04:00

LOOK AT OUR LITTLE MAN......

Thanks to Michelle & Jeff for the many pictures and video clips of our kiddos. Derek is so fascinating!!! I can't wait to get there next weekend and see him for myself!!!

HERE HE IS......

Gotta admit....He's a cutie isn't he!!!!!!

Be sure to check out our link to Michelle & Jeffs blog as there you will be able to see some videos and more pics!!!!

2008-08-19T21:30:00.002-04:00

So much is happening that I haven't taken the time to sit down and jot about it.
Michelle & Jeff made it safely to Vietnam and will be going today to the orphanage to spend time with the kiddos. WOW...I can't wait to hear more and of course to see pictures and video. She has told me so much about what they have seen already. We can't wait to get there. Our associate, Hung, sounds like an awesome guy. He is working so hard for the families and it is through him that we will finally get toreach our goal....BRINGING DEREK HOME!!!!! We are anxious to meet him in person when we get there.
I have secured our flights and our hotel in Danang. Thanks to Lauren & Matt for the air miles for our domestic part of the flight. You are truly wonderful and we look forward to meeting you both!!!!
We will stay at the Sandy Beach Resort which Michelle has posted pics of on her website (link at side) and it is BEAUTIFUL!!!! It will be so relaxing....at least til Derek comes to stay!!! LOL!!!!
We have been told that Derek is the "bully" of the orpahange. He steals the toys from the other kids and makes them cry. Oh Boy do we have alot of work to accomplish. But as I'm sure you guessed he will get away with alot around here!!!!
Donations are pouring in for the Yard & Bake Sale coming up this weekend. We are so pleased with the response from so many people. We received several monetary donations as well. GOD IS SO GOOD!!!!!
Well I need to get a little rest before jumping up tomorrow morning bright and early to chat it up with Michelle and get the low down on Derek!!!!!
I'll post more tomoorow about Michelle's visit to the orphanage!!!!

STAY TUNED.......

2008-08-14T08:11:00.002-04:00

Progressive Busyness......

This basically means that over the next 2 weeks we will be so busy our heads will surely literally spin on our shoulders.
1. We are in the midst of trying to successfully book our flight to Vietnam
2. We are trying to secure our hotel accomodations via internet for our arrival in DaNang
3. We are rearranging work schedules, calling clients/customers, securing credit cards, stashing money into our travel account, sorting change to be exchanged for paper currency, running girls to basketball & field hockey practices, back to school preparing, and preparing for next weeks big benefit yard & bake sale here. Oh there's lots more but I could bore you with it all.
4. I have charged all batteries and packed all electronic devices except the laptop.
5. I need to get prescriptions filled.
6. I NEED HELP & SANITY!!!!

So Michelle & Jeff are getting ready to fly out to Vietnam on Saturday night so she and I are trying to catch up with each other as much as possible since we will have no connection together until their very sleepy arrival. I can't wait til they get settled and head to the orphanage to see the kiddos. Bring on the pictures!!!!!
Lauren & Matt will be arriving in DaNang around the 22nd & 28th I believe so we are looking forward to finally meeting them face to face after many emails and phone conversations. May I also mention how wonderful and generous Lauren is....everytime we tried to secure flights she managed to have some kind of voucher or mileage assistance to help defray our costs. We now found out that we will fly the domestic leg of our trip with US Air and she has enough miles to gt that flight booked for us at no charge to us. SHE IS WONDERFUL!!!!!!
I wish safe travels to all of you and we'll seee you there!!!

We are scheduled tentatively to fly out of Philly at 6:15 pm on Aug 28th and arrive in Hanoi Vietnam on Aug. 30th. I won't even try to figure out the time thing. It is so confusing!!!!

Hopefully today w can secure the flights and the hotel so I can check that off our list.

There will be a Benefit Yard & Bake Sale at our house on Aug 22 & 23 for anyone interested. We will be using the proceeds to support Derek's Orphanage as funding has ceased from our agency. The children are in danger of being moved to another facility which could affect our adoption proceedings so we are going to try to help defray some of the cost to help keep it going. If you want to help out we need baked good donations, yard sale donations, or just come out and shop!!!!!

Norm, Alyssa, Jessica, & I are also doing a fundraiser with PEZ dispensers. As many of you know Jess is a new but blossoming PEZ COLLECTOR and she thought it would be cool to sell PEZ dispensers to try to raise money to SUPPORT ADOPTION!!! So we ordered some dispensers which will be available at the Yard & Bake sale and I will have them in my shop and at Norm's garage for the next few weeks. They will sell for $4.00 per dispenser and all proceeds will be used to SUPPORT ADOPTION!!!!! Later we will have some SPECIAL dispensers selling that will be custom imprinted for all of you Collectors out there. Be on the lookout. We will link our webpage for them on this site. We hope to have them available in the next few weeks. We will be shipping them out as ordered!!! Help Us Help Children Find Homes!!!!!

Okay I rambled enough and when I think of more I'll start a new post!!!!!

Keep Praying!!!! GOD IS GOOD!!!!!

2008-08-09T12:46:00.002-04:00

FYI.....Birthday Change

Just letting everyone know that after alot of (and I mean A LOT OF) deliberation Norm & I decided to make Derek's birthday January 9th. This is the date that the orphanage found him abandoned and since there is no record of any birth day or any connection with a birth family pkus the fact that all of his documents were filed with Jan. 9th as his "date of birth" we have chosen to keep that date as his "BIRTHDAY"!!!! So today Derek is officially 19 months old!!!!

2008-08-09T12:28:00.002-04:00

TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH!!!!!

So here's the deal. We are going to put all of our trust in God getting us that G&R the beginning of September!!!! Norm & I talked last night and have decided that we will make our travel arrangements. We are planning at this point (barring no unforseen interuptions again) that we will leave the Harrisburg airport on August 28th or 29th. Of course we will continue to PRAY that God will bless us with a G&R for the last week of August which would mean we would need to travel the week of the 18th, right of Michelle & Jeff's heels. So I have COMPLETED the suitcases and will just need to pack all of our electronics into the carry on and we are ready to fly the friendly skies. It will be long but the award at the landing will be tremendous.
We are having our conference call Monday night at 7. Our 797C that we needed to get legalized (which BTW hop onto Michelle & Jeff's blog (linked to the right) and look at the feat they conquered to get that done for us) should be arriving in Hanoi on Tuesday via FedEx and hopefully will be transferred to the hands of the DN DOJ the same week and if all goes well possibly by the end of next week or the beginning of the next we will have our G&R. Now don't get too excited and bank on that happening but have hope with us. FAITH!!!!!
We are very excited to have Michelle & Jeff get to DaNang and go to the orphanage as they will take lots of pictures and video for us of Derek. What an exciting email that will be to receive. Imagine....VIDEO!!!!! We will get to see OUR son walking, talking, playing, running, smiling...WOW I just can't wait!!!!!
We'll post more info once we complete our conference call and have some insight into the remainder of our process!!!!!
KEEP PRAYING....we truly appreciate it!!!!!

2008-08-08T15:32:00.003-04:00

PLAYLAND HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED.....

We began tearing apart our dining room and transforming it into PLAYLAND on Sunday. Here are a few pictures. I keep stocking the shelves. Soon I can open my own toy & book store. I will slow down now though since it won't be long until Christmas and alot of people will want to get Derek things so I have to leave a few things on the store shelves. I forgot how fun it was to buy toys!!!!

I also wanted to add the latest update to this post. As I mentioned our agency has decided to close its doors due to financial ruin. Our PM/CM has been diligently volunteering his time to get our adoption finalized. We will be having a conference call along with (I think) 12 other families and our new agency (Holt) on Monday at 7:00 p.m. We are really looking forward to hearing details from them what we should expect at this point. Michelle & Jeff so kindly drove hours yesterday to have our 797C long with documents of their own and Matt & Lauren legalized at the Consulate in San Fran and then forwarded the via Fed Ex to Ray at Commonwealth. He should have received them today and was in turn going to Fed Ex them directly to Vietnam to our associate so they could be filed at the DIA. It is my understanding that they will then go to the DN DOJ and we can then get our G&R date. Please Pray that this is soon.

Michelle & Jeff will be leaving next weekend to head to DaNang to hang out and wait for the G&R. We will really miss traveling with them but the importance of their being there is much greater. After all we will meet up with them there and as I told her we expect that they will have checked out the latest and greatest spots for us to be until we get there. The best part is that they will get to go to the orphanage and meet the kiddos. I can't wait to have them love on Derek for us. We will at least now get tons of pictures and better yet....live video!!!! Michelle wants to try to teach him to say Mommy & Daddy in English before we get there. She'll have her work cut out for her. We aren't sure how often they will be permitted to spend time at the orphanage but every minute counts. Then at the end of the month Matt & Lauren will arrive on scene to add a little more lovin to the mix!!!!! THANKS GUYS!!!!!! We will get there as soon as we can. Unfortunately with our businesses we can't pack up and leave for an extended time.

So we are asking that you continue to pray hard and we have FAITH that GOD WILL GET US THERE WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT!!!!!

2008-08-06T08:52:00.003-04:00

GROWING MONEY ON TREES!!!!!!

I'll let you all know in time how it works.....

I brainstormed yesterday how I could begin raising money for the orphanage where Derek is staying until we can bring him home before they close their doors due to financial strains. I thought there must be something I can creatively put together that will raise a few bucks to help out.

That's when I headed to the salon basement and dug up this.....

I just put it up last night before closing and I sold $4 off of it already. Anxious to see how it goes. It is a conversation piece to see a Christmas tree set up in August so naturally people ask and then I can explain the situation to them and it becomes their choice to help or not. Clever huh!!!!

I'll keep you posted on how the selling goes.

And for my PEZ lovin friends, I am contemplating contacting PEZ to make some sort of adoption PEZ dispenser for me to sell to raise money. Maybe 100-200 of them to get started. What do you think???

2008-08-04T21:50:00.002-04:00

We NEED Prayers, Support, Encouragement, & Suggestions.....

We received word last night and confirmed email this morning that our agency is filing bankruptcy and will close its doors. We are almost to the finish. We have gotten our I600 approval and are awaiting our G&R date. However our agency will not be handling this for us. Our PM/CM was "left go" from the agency last Thursday and is continuing to try to get our case (along with Michelle & Jeff's and Lauren & Matt's) taken over by a new agency. We are unsure of what the outcome of this will be. We may face further paperwork, financial stress, and waiting time. I will not place a price on my son however and I intend to complete this adoption. We have contacted several entities in hopes of some insight about our best approach to this matter. At this point the most important thing is to "Bring Home Our Children".

Can you help us?????

2008-08-01T14:50:00.001-04:00

NOTICE ANY CHANGES???????

2008-08-01T14:27:00.003-04:00

Just HAD to post the adorable gift I received today......

Thanks Alan....Lord knows I will be using these. I can't tell you how many blogs I have read in the past few days and every little thing in them makes me all sentimental and sappy eyed. Must be the "Mommy Hormones" kickin' in!!!!

2008-07-31T08:37:00.003-04:00

We haven't posted since receiving our update on Tuesday as it wasn't the best news we anticipated receiving.
We found out in an email update from our agency that there was a document problem when the DIA & DOJ were reveiwing our dossiers to prepare for the G&R to be set. It seems somehow the infamous I-171H that if you all remember I struggled so hard to get updated a little time back was apparently not forwarded to the appropriate facility and it was questioned whether we had a renewal and then it was decided it needed authenticated which we didn'f have time to accomplish. The I600 approval email was forwarded to both entities and it has been agreed upon to accept our renewals (both Michelle & Jeff and ours were in this mix) and proceed with the G&R scheduling. This however is expected to take jumping a few hoops and we were told that the last week in August we should begin to prepare for our travel. So it is looking like our G&R will be early September. It will sure be a nice birthday present for ME!!!!!
The one thing I tell myself is that God has the control in this and He knows better than myself or anyone reading this that I was heartbroken thinking that I would have to be separtated from my girls for weeks. I feel God has prepared this travel to allow me a few weeks to enjoy the rest of the summer with them before they start back to school on August 26th. I apologize to Michelle & Lauren that God chose it this way as this delays you as well but we all 3 have decided we WILL do this TOGETHER and that GOD is going to do this at HIS WILL!!!! I truly believe God has brought the 3 of us together for reasons we will get to see someday soon!!!
This week the girls are at a local Bible Camp and next week they will vacation with their dad then I will get to enjoy them endlessly for 2 weeks efore preparing to climb aboard the wings of victory to fly to our son!!!
Lauren has presented us with a few TERRIFIC opportunities and I THANK her tremendously for that!!!!! She is a doll!!! I can't wait to meet her face to face.
We do plan on traveling to California a few days early to spend some celebration and quality tme with Michelle & Jeff prior to our travel to our kiddos. I am looking extrememly forward to that as I miss Michelle tremendously!!!!! I'm not sure why God brought us together living on opposite sides of the U.S. but none the less I THANK Him for doing it!!!!! Someday, who knows, maybe we'll live closer together. In the meantime it's a great vacation spot!!!!!
So all in all we ask that you continue to pray fo the remaing steps of the wait to process and pass quickly. We really need to see and hold our son!!!!!

2008-07-28T12:26:00.003-04:00

OUR APPROVAL STORY----

I just read Michelle & Jeff's blog and decided I should probably post our approval story so at least I have it recorded somewhere. Not that we will ever forget but we are trying to post as much as possible for Derek's sake. So here it is:

Knowing that we were going to be 2 weeks post orphanage investigation on Wednesday July 23rd we anticipated our approval to come sometime that week. On Tuesday afternoon as I kept watching my email and all of the blogs that I enjoy each day I made a last ditch effort to find out approval information. I logged onto the Yahoo Travel Group and posted a question asking if anyone out there had ever gotten a mid week approval since all we were seeing was Friday and Monday's. Much to my surprise I received this comment back:

YES,
Ours was on Wed. exactly 2 weeks after they had been to our son's orphanage!
IT IS GOING TO BE TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Teresa
AP-Guatemala
PAP-Vietnam I600 approval since 7/2

THANKS TERESA B. You know your stuff!!!!!

You can only imagine the excitement I felt from reading this. I forwarded it to Michelle & Lauren and read it to Norm immediately. I knew that Tuesday night or wee hours Wednesday morning was going to be it.

I watched our email and refreshed it countless times before finally heading off to bed around 11:00 with our laptop under our arm and my cell phone in my hand. We set the laptop up on the dresser and checked it a few more times before giving in to the tiredness from the day. I laid the cell phone next to me at the bed and drifted off to sleep. Michelle, Lauren & I had a pact that whoever got the approval first would call all the rest of us. After praying long and hard I fell asleep restlessly but none the less I slept.
At 3:31 AM my cell phone started playing "Klumsy" and we knew that someone got the much awaited approval news. Anticipating we would all 3 get approved at the same time we were prepared for a huge celebration. I answered the phone excitedly and all I heard at the other end was Michelle screaming something to me about the approval and giggling as hard as she could. Norm flew out of bed to check our email which seemed like it took forever to get the computer awake for. HMMMM.....No approval at our end. I could hear the sinking in Michelle's giggle when I told her we didn't get ours. I proceeded to comfort Norm and told Michelle I would call her if we got ours. Now that we were awake there was no falling asleep anytime quickly anyways. I laid back down in the bed and told Norm it would be here soon that we still had an hour or more to check for it. Michelle was off to call Lauren.
15 minutes went by and I decided to check for the email again. Well guess what.....IT WAS THERE!!!!! Norm sprang out of bed to read the good news with me! His response was "I'm A Daddy"!! Tears of joy filled our eyes as we hugged and rejoiced. We were finally approved to travel for Derek. I called Michelle to tell her and once again the giggling and screaming started!!! She wasn't able to reach Lauren though. I decided I would try as well but she hadn't answered my call either. Strange!!! I left a message to call me though. I debated with myself about calling my mom at that hour of the morning but this was news that needed shared so Norm took to calling his parents and I called my mom. Much excitement was shared!!! We laid back down in bed still exhausted but full of questions and sleep took over and we drifted off again. At a little after 6 my cell began playing that tune again.....it's Lauren!!!! She was so excited and sounded so shocked. She had actually SLEPT through our calls (BAD LAUREN). She broke the chain (we'll get her for that later). None the less we all 3 got them and we will all travel together and adopt these beautiful toddlers together after 2 1/2 years of the struggle to get to this point.

What a glorious morning that was. I have concluded that even though each portion of this wait has been hard this one IS the hardest. Knowing we have the approval to travel and bring Derek home but waiting for the government in Vietnam to issue us a date to be there is tough. We are packed and ready to make our travel arrangements when the call comes through!!!!!

Continue to pray for our wait and for our travel!!!!

2008-07-23T21:50:00.001-04:00

Here's How We CELEBRATED Our Approval.....

We bought a huge pack of fireworks for the 4th of July but my brother bought an even bigger one (He always has to be the best) so we went any enjoyed his and took Jessica's suggestion of saving ours for Derek's Homecoming!!!! However tonight we decided that the approval needed some sort of great celebration so here is what we did.....

2008-07-23T03:52:00.003-04:00

Post 201.....

WE GOT OUR APPROVAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can you say DANCE OF JOY????!!!!! (It's a little better than the PEZ Dance Of Joy, for our PEZ friends)

Exactly 2 weeks from our investigation and 57 calendar days total!!!!

OMG......This is AWESOME!!!!!

Looks like my post from yesterday took us sliding onto the front stretch of the track!!!!!!

More to come as we get more dates.......

THANKS FOR ALL THE PRAYERS!!!!!!

2008-07-22T17:34:00.002-04:00

As you can see I have changed the title of our blog today. This whole process has felt like I have been behind the wheel of Matt Kenseth's race car. We have been run off the track, slammed into walls, and spun in circles but like Matt we persevere and get back in the seat and buckle up each week to race for the finish line every day. We will continue to find strength in Our Loving Lord to go on each day waiting for our approval to travel.

Just to let everyone who reads this that is unaware of what the next steps are here it is:
1. USCIS issues travel approval
2. Our Vietnam in country associate will request a G&R (Giving & Receiving date or Adoption Day) from the DOJ of Danang.
3. Agency will notify us of G&R and tell us when we have to be in Vietnam.
4. Travel will be arranged by us (Pray about this as I am not a travel expert...however I am counting on Michelle for help)
5. Fly to L.A. for a day or two with Michelle & Jeff
6. Fly to Hong Kong
7. Connect to Hanoi, Vietnam
8. Day 2--Fly to Danang
9. Day 3--G&R Derek will be OURS!!!!!
10. Day 5 (I think)--Fly back to Hanoi for remainder of stay which will include lots of sightseeing and we will have Derek's medical exam for his visa.
11. Once we have his visa we can fly HOME!!!!
12. Begin our journey with Derek as a part of our family!!!!!

EveryDay-----PRAISE GOD!!!!!!

2008-07-22T08:07:00.000-04:00

Tuesday.....Day 57

Still No Approval :(

We are really, really ready to bring Derek home!!!!

We are praying to God that He has chosen this week to be "the time" for "the email" to come through!!!! Please pray with us....we are so close!

2008-07-21T07:24:00.000-04:00

It's Yet ANOTHER "NO NEWS" MONDAY.....

I knew when I woke up at 4:15 and 5:15 and my cell phone hadn't rang yet ( I'm still waiting Lauren & Michelle ) that today wasn't the day either.

Keep hoping for tomorrow...someday it has to come!!!!!

2008-07-20T22:26:00.001-04:00

Come On USCIS....

You're Killin' Me Here!!!!

Sunday night and still no news on our I600 status. We were issued an e,ail message on Friday that told us we would be hearing from USCIS-HCMC or US Embassy-Hanoi "shortly". We were hoping that meant tonight or Monday morning!!!!

2008-07-17T14:21:00.000-04:00

Will it be TODAY or TOMORROW or NEXT WEEK......

We are praying harder than ever that God allows our approval to come in our inbox tonight between 10 & 11 pm, tomorrow between 3 & 4 am, Sunday between 10 & 11 pm, or Monday between 3 & 4 am. PLEASE SOON!!!!!
I enjoy my sleep at night so I haven't had the urge yet to stay up or sleep with one eye open waiting for "The Email" so I have stationed Lauren & Michelle on ALERT and provided authority to them to call me at whatever hour necessary to give us "The News" we are waiting for. This way they get to bear the good news first and.....I get some sleep. LOL!!!!!