The Caldwell Family Has Some News to Share...

About this time a week ago, I was turning 30! I am doing okay with being 30. I feel the same as I did when I turned 25, which seemed like just the other day….. It seems like just yesterday that I was telling everyone I was now halfway to 30….this made sense in my mind, though I realize 15 is half of 30, not 25. Oh well.


Anyway, besides being a significant milestone in general in terms of age, being 30 years old also has significance to the Chinese government. What type of significance, you might ask? Well, once you have reached the age of 30, you are able to submit a dossier to China and be matched with a child for adoption. Hmmm. Interesting. Wonder why I might be bringing up this piece of information.

Well……now that I am 30, our family can officially be matched with a child from China…specifically, a little girl!

For the past 6 months or so we have been completing paperwork to complete an adoption for a girl, ages 1-3, with minor or correctable special needs from China. We knew all along we would want a girl someday, and it seems like the time is finally here, and we are super excited!!! We did go back and forth about how a girl would fit in our family…would a boy be easier, since we have all boy things and all I know about is boys? Would I be able to fix her hair? (hey, I was 12 before I could fix my own hair, just ask my mom) Are we ready for a third (and for sure most likely the last) child? Can we afford another adoption? (hello, we have never been able to afford it, but God has!!) Through all our doubts and worries, God kept saying, “Yes!”.

We then had to make the decision as to which country to pursue an adoption from- that was a toughie. Of course, our hearts will forever be in Ethiopia, as it is the beautiful home of our sons. We know that one day God will give us the chance to return to this special place, but after much prayer and thought, making spreadsheets, and talking, talking, talking, we did not feel that this was the country from which God was calling us to adopt our daughter. There were many reasons, but the one that stood out the most to us was the requirement to have to travel twice to Ethiopia. With our jobs and two young boys at home, we did not feel this would be in our families best interest at this time. So, we began praying about adopting a little girl from the China Waiting Child program, as it is a relatively quick program and there is only one trip required.

We are super excited (and I am very nervous!!) about adding a sweet girl to our family. The boys talk about their sister almost on a daily basis, though we don’t know who she is, how old she will be, or what province in China she will be from. Caleb is ready to not be the “baby” any longer, and Noah is excited to show his little sister all kinds of cool tricks  No names or anything like that have been decided upon yet, but the boys have also been very helpful in adding in their picks on that topic as well.

The China Waiting Child Program is very different from the way Ethiopia processes adoptions, and I will not go into all the details, as I am not sure that I even understand all the intricacies. But, basically, once a month, usually on a Monday night toward the end of the month, China will release hundreds of children who are ready for adoption on a shared system to every adoption agency licensed to facilitate adoptions from China. Every agency has access to this list, and every agency is working to match their waiting families with a child. Once a child’s file is “locked” for a family to consider it is also blocked from other agencies view. A family has 72 hours to either accept or reject the match. Some children can be matched with families who are paperchasing, like our family (we are still waiting on a few documents to send to China), while other children can only be matched with families who currently have a dossier in China.

Tonight is actually the first night that we have been eligible to be matched due to my age! So, it is feasible that we could get a phone call tonight or in the morning with a referral to consider. But most likely, that will come in the next 2-4 months, given our age range and special needs that we are open to. After a referral is accepted, travel usually occurs 6-8 months after. We are praying we will be matched sometime before December, so that we can travel during the summer months.

We desperately covet your prayers as we wait and pray for our daughter. We pray she is being loved and nurtured, wherever she may be. We pray that already God would begin working in our hearts and her hearts to create a special bond and love between all of us. God has blessed our family so unbelievably through the miracle of adoption, and we look with great hope and anticipation to the future.

Catching Up.....

The summer is almost over, and I haven't even caught up the blog from spring yet....so I have a lot of ground to cover!

First, Noah graduated Kindergarten and we are so proud of him! He finished strong and is looking forward to beginning first grade. Below are some pictures of his graduation. Caleb will attend preschool next year and is excited to be at school with his big brother!

The boys also played tball this spring and had a great time! Noah actually got to play first base and "pitcher"!

They are currently both swimming on our local swim team, the Barracudas! At the beginning of the summer, neither of them could truly swim by themselves- they either needed to use floaties of they wouldn't let go of the wall! Now they are both able to swim alone, and Noah is even diving in! They love the water and have come so far! We are so proud of all their hard work...below is a video of their most recent swim meet.

In March I began working for our local school system as a family educator, and I have been so thankful to have had this summer to spend time with the boys. We have had tons of fun and I wouldn't have wanted to have missed a minute of it! The boys are both growing and changing so quickly. They are each developing their own VERY DISTINCT personalities, to say the least. Some of my favorite times are reading books to them, especially our Family Reading Bible. It has been a wonderful addition to our family library and I highly recommend it! It guides your family through the Bible and comes equipped with questions to ask after each story.... and listening to their responses is so interesting and reminds me how important it is for Zack and I to pray for our boys every day. Our hearts desire is that they will desire God's truth to guide their lives.

 I also began taking classes this summer, working towards completing my Master of Education degree with an emphasis in guidance counseling. Thankfully, I am blessed with a supportive family who has made sacrifices to allow me to take four summer classes! I will only have two classes left in the fall, then a practicum and internship to complete- prayerfully it will all be done by 2014!!

Well, that seems to have hit the highlights of our spring and summer thus far.....one month from today I am celebrating a significant milestone :) and our family will be celebrating a significant milestone as well....more to come on that!

Treasuring Cinderella

Neglected! Yes, our blog has been neglected for far too long. I do apologize. There are so many awesome and exciting things that I have wanted to share, but somehow life has just not slowed down enough for me to share, and I realize that it won't slow down. So, I guess I will just have to slow down and take time to do what I love to do.

I was reminded of this in February when Zack and I were given the chance to volunteer at an America World Adoption both during a Steven Curtis Chapman concert. Before the actual concert, we had a chance to sit in on a Q&A session with SCC and he also took some requests from the crowd. It was really awesome and so cool for us, as he is one of our most favorite people and role models, especially because of what he has done to advocate for adoption and assist families who are adopting....not to mention he is an amazing artist! During the concert he of course sang the song, "Cinderella". While I had always figured that this song was written about his daughters, I did not know the exact story which inspired the song. He told the story that night during the concert. He said that on a night when  he was so tired and  still had so much to do, his daughters were playing dress up and very much wanted him to play along. He, however, was set on getting them in the bed!  Every parent has been there.  He said he left the bedtime experience being frustrated with his girls because they wanted to play and wouldn't settle down. It didn't take the Holy Spirit long to remind him of how precious each moment we are given with our loved ones really are, as life and its moments are so fleeting. He left that experience and immediately went and wrote Cinderella. As he began to sing Cinderalla that night at the concert, I most likely would have been brought to tears anyway, but hearing the story  behind the song really caused me to lose it! Did Steven Curtis Chapman know exactly how I had been feeling the last few months?  God's Spirit gently reminded me that my boys are growing so fast and becoming more independent each and every day. This, of course, is a wonderful thing, as this is what we want for our children. But was I really enjoying each moment with them, even the frustrating and exhausting ones, or was I wishing them away, for easier times where I could have some peace and quiet and get back to business? When I think about the amazing blessing my boys are, it is hard for me to understand why I ever would not stop and treasure each moment with them. But in moments of frustration and busyness, which all parents have, it is easy to wish time away. I have been praying for God to remind me of the beauty and blessing that each day brings, and to celebrate each day that He gives me with my precious family. I want to dance with my "Cinderellas" while they are here in my arms. Because just as the song so beautifully conveys, one day they will be gone. Sigh.

The boys are both doing wonderfully. Caleb finished his first full year of preschool today. He is ready for summer break! Noah has two more weeks of Kindergarten left. He is excited for first grade and new challenges. We are very proud of them and their progress over the past year truly reflects all their hard work.

They are truly best friends and I can't imagine our family fitting together any better than it does! It is such a miracle when you think about how God has orchestrated the composition of our family. I just sit in awe and think about his goodness to our family and how much He loves us.

 Zack and I have both been blessed with jobs that we really enjoy, and I am looking forward to spending the summer with my boys.....oh the adventures we will have! What a blessing to be able to have this time with them!

We are entering into a new chapter in our lives as a family, and I am entering into a new chapter in my life as well....but there a few details still undecided at this point, so that will have to wait until the next blog post.....and I promise it won't be near as long for that one :)

Christmas Love

What a difference a year can make! I seem to remember writing a similar post two years ago, when Caleb had been home for one year. And here I am once again, amazed at what a difference this past year has made in Noah's life and in the life of our entire family.

A year ago Noah was a scared, sad child who could not even communicate with our family, other than nodding his head or pointing. A year ago I was a scared, doubtful mom who could not communicate with my new son other than nodding my head or pointing. We were kind of in the same boat, and we really didn't know what we were doing, all we knew is that God would somehow make a way for the child he had blessed us with to feel the love we wanted to show him. Little did we realize that Noah had even more love to show us! And now, a year later, L-O-V-E pretty much sums it up. It took time for all of us, as we thought it would. Love did not come "naturally" at first, and it did feel awkward for a little while- kind of like just going through the motions. But God did something supernatural and created a love in all our hearts for one another that is as true as any love I have ever known. A miracle, indeed.

Caleb will always be my "baby", as I guess every first child is to their parents. I can remember holding him for the first time, just like it was yesterday. His smile and personality won us all over from the start and still does! He will always hold that special part of my heart.

But Noah has taught me what it means to be resilient and strong. To put it in the words of singer/songwriter Sarah Groves, his courage asks me, what I am afraid of, and what I know of love? Just think about it- Here was a child who was living on the streets with no parents, he gets taken to an entirely new world with people he doesn't know and can't communicate with, he gets taken to doctors and poked and prodded, all the while not really knowing what is going on because of the communication barrier. He mourns for his home and all he ever knew, for his family, and again can't express it to the people he should be able to confide in- his parents. In my opinion, he had every right to be angry, distrustful, uncooperative, etc. I probably would have been, and sometimes, I was (that is embarrassing to admit....) all of the above. But instead Noah opened his heart, his mind, and his spirit to his new life and family. And none of us could have imagined what an amazing child he was all long! I know I am his mother, but when I think of all he has endured in ONLY SIX YEAR OF LIFE, I think he is the most remarkable child I have ever known. Sensitive, funny, kind and brave, and very loving, despite the loss he has experienced, God has restored his heart, and he is so able to love. We are so in awe that God would entrust Noah to us.

It seems fitting that Noah and Caleb both came home around Christmas time, as that first Christmas was the most awesome expression of God's love for us- that he would send His only Son to show us what love is all about, knowing that ultimately His son would suffer rejection and pain that no man has ever known. And that because of that, we would have the ability to be adopted into God's family. We CAN be called the children of God.

This Christmas we celebrate the miracle of the adoption of our two sons, and the amazing love that God has given us all for one another. But most importantly, we celebrate the miracle of the most precious baby to have ever been born. Our Saviour, Jesus.

Does This Blog Still Work?

Wow....does this blog still work? Almost two months with no news posts!!????

Well, truth is it works just fine, but this blogger has also been working full time, and that has proven to leave little time for blogging!

The last two months have been a whirlwind, to say the least, and things finally feel like they might be falling into place....maybe! How do all you working moms do this??!!

First- the boys love, love, love school, which is a huge blessing! They have made new friends, are learning tons, and are happy to go to school, most mornings, which makes mommy happy, because I don't think I could leave them if they were crying! Noah actually read me a book tonight- that's right, the child that has only been speaking English for 9 months read me a story- it is amazing! And Caleb uses such big words now- tonight at dinner he asked me about pyramids! Amazing children!

Second- my job is going pretty well. I am catching on pretty fast, and learning each day how to manage my home, family, and career....and church, and homework, and preschool choir, and soccer...okay, I am stopping there! I still really miss being at home, but for now I am doing my best to bloom where I am planted. Zack has been a huge encouragement to me during this time....he helped me hang in there through the toughest times!

Third- the boys are playing soccer and they love it and so do we! Noah scored his first goal a few games okay and it was really exciting!

Fourth- we are moving....again! Staying in London but moving to a home that we are so excited about! It is a foreclosure (you know we could never buy a "normal house") and I consider it to be such a blessing because it has everything we could ever need and has room to grow....in case we do that! There will be more pictures to come in the near future!

That's a pretty quick update, but I fear that any future blog posts may resemble this one until I can carve out some more time for blogging.....unfortunately it has fallen down pretty low on the priority list!

One final thought- God's mercies have flowed bountifully to our family over the last couple months, and I just want to praise Him for that!! We could not have made this transition without Him!

This week was a huge week in the Caldwell household because.......Noah started Kindergarten!!!! His first day was Wednesday and he was ready to go! Here he is with his new backpack (loaded down with pencils, crayons, scissors, etc.) He had a great first day and even got "super" stickers on his work! He is in for a great year.

Caleb starts preschool next week, and is equally excited about beginning school, especially the fact that he will be going to the same school as his big brother. We were able to meet both of their teachers and visit their classrooms earlier in the week for open house, and I admit, there was a moment while I was speaking to Caleb's teacher that I began to tear up and could have lost my composure....but, I held it together :)

Both our boys have grown up in so many ways. Caleb, because he came to us so young, will always be my "baby", and so to see him now moving from staying home with me each day to spending his days in preschool and essentially this part of our lives coming to an end is a bit bittersweet. And then to see Noah embrace school, with all the newness and changes he has experienced in his short life- it makes me so proud to be the mother of this remarkable child. Most of all, it has reminded me to treasure each day with my boys, because time does not wait.

Adding to this huge change for our family is another big change for me- the blessing of a job with the Kentucky Department of Corrections as a Probation and Parole Investigator. When I first heard the details of this position this past spring, I truly felt as though this was the job God had in mind for me. It was a long wait for the job to become available, to interview, and then finally to be offered the position, but it was worth the wait, and as usual, God's timing is just right. I was able to spend the entire summer with my boys, and will also be able to see them both off to school before I begin working next week. Zack also began a new job last week, and is really enjoying learning the ropes. Once again, God has provided for us in a way that only he can, and in a way that truly brings us to our knees in awe that he would be so gracious to our family. Not only has he met our physical needs through providing us both with jobs, he is also reassuring us that he will provide us with the strength and grace as our entire family transitions into a new phase of life.

We give thanks to him, for lessons learned in how to trust in his goodness. We are blessed more than we could ever dream, in abundance, or in need. Our short time of uncertainty seems to pale in comparison to the challenges that many face even at this very moment- the thousands dying in Somalia and those who lose loved ones because of war. Sometimes we wonder why God doesn't answer our prayers, but he is meeting our needs in ways we could never imagine- by teaching us how to hope, trust, and depend in him and him alone. What greater blessing could we have than to know the God of the universe cares for us. I first heard the song "Gratitude" while I was in college, and the words have never left me, and never cease to bring me to tears. I hope you will listen to the beautiful words of this song and place your trust in the one who can provide for your every need.

The Ministry God Has Given Us....

Since we began our adoption journey both Zack and I felt that God was calling us to do more than just adopt, but also to be life long advocates for adoption and orphans. We have seen this come to fruition through God moving us to share our adoption experience with other couples and families interested in adoption. We have been blessed to have been able to do this through seminars, adoption fairs, and mostly just through answering an email or having a conversation over dinner. Throughout these experiences the one thing we have noticed is that though many people have the desire to adopt, knowing where to start can be very overwhelming and intimidating. The more we discussed this, the more we felt that God could use us and our experiences to assist prospective adoptive parents with beginning the adoption journey.

From this God given desire, we have formed a ministry called His Kids Adoption Resources. This ministry exists to assist prospective adoptive parents with "getting started" with the adoption process. From answering questions to connecting them with other adoptive parents, we pray that this ministry will provide a firm foundation as families take a step of faith to bring home a precious child.

We would appreciate your prayers as we seek to make others aware of this ministry. We would also love for you to visit our web page: http://www.hiskidsadoption.org/

Below are just a few pictures from our fun summer- from Vacation Bible School to our first camping trip to learning to ride bikes......it has been a great summer!