Forever Family Day a.k.a. Gotcha Day

One year ago today, a sickly, scared 18 month old was placed in my arms in a crowded, loud room in far away country. I had dreamed of this moment for years and felt so blessed that the Lord had called us to be this little girl's Forever Family.
Today, we celebrate this day, as do many adoptive families, to remember the moment our lives changed forever and Joy became a part of our family. She has grown so much over the last few months and is a healthy and vibrant 2 year old in every way. We have had our issues since coming home, as most adoptive families, but we praise God that Joy is attaching along with Mom and Dad. We have discovered this process is a give and take for all of us and that each baby step is a move forward. Watching her over this year has been like watching a flower grow and bloom. Each day she shows us another hidden aspect of her personality. So far, we have discovered she is smart, stubborn, silly and above all a loving child.

Today, we PRAISE and THANK GOD for our precious little Joy Elizabeth Yuhui ! We Gotcha girl and we aren't ever letting you go!

Last Landing

It was strange flying into the island knowing that it was our last time landing here. We have made a lot of memories, a lot of friends and have had a lot of fun. I am forever amazed at the many blessings the Lord has given us. The kids made friends with the pilot who is from Mark's home town.

Joy is happy to be on final approach!

A beautiful view of the island from the air.

A Few Days of Fun

We spent a day at Disney and a day at SeaWorld to wrap up our days stateside while house hunting. The kids got a great view of the parade while we were dining in Frontier Land. At SeaWorld, Matt and Grace were quite courageous and road the Manta with Dad. I was more than happy to "volunteer" to stay with the younger ones. Joy and Andrew enjoyed the shows at both parks. However, at SeaWorld we had a difficult time finding adequate shade for Joy. We also became acutely aware on this trip of the curiosity of strangers in regards to Joy's nevi. Due to the fact that our base here is small and intimate we haven't had to deal too much with the comments and stares of strangers. However, I have to admit on this trip it began to get to me. It is not the glances of interest of people passing by that break my heart, it is the people who make revolting faces or comments that are meant to insult. On several occasions, I just went up and asked if the person had any questions about her condition. Of course, they would say no and continue on. We have no objection to answering questions especially when they come from children. We have found that most children are accepting once we explain that she has birthmarks. It is the adults who we find unforgiving. We know that this will be a ongoing journey for both Joy and our family. We pray that we will be able to model appropriate responses for Joy in these circumstances. We already know God has given her a spunky, loving personality and that He has great plans for her. She is His beautiful Princess and that is all that matters. I pray as she grows and comes to know Jesus that others will see His light shining forth from her.

Successful Journey

Our house hunitng trip was a success with the help of our great realtor, Sheila. It only took us looking at over 35 houses to finally find the one that we think will fit our needs. We are so excited and found the people of Tennessee to be warm, polite and most importantly not afraid to give God glory in their conversations. We can't wait to see how God will use us and grow us in the future.

Anyone who knows our Andrew will instantly know that it will be very difficult to get him to play inside!

Wow! That's what color looks like on a wall! We can't wait to make this house our home.

House Hunting

Joy is being an angel and just going with the flow. She picked her favorite house and said "Joy's Home!"

House hunting is exhausting work! We have a great realtor who is on board with our needs and price point.

Cracked slab- Uummm! Not a great feature

We have seen 12 houses so far and only one is promising. Five more to see tomorrow. Our first impressions of Murfreesboro, Tn is that is family oriented, growing and people are very friendly. I think we will grow to love it. It is truly beautiful country. Please pray we have the energy to keep up the hunt and that the Lord will bless us with the perfect house.

Hanging Out

So our things are gone and we are just hanging out counting down the days. We head out for our house hunting trip on the 22nd. The big kids will be staying with Grandma for 4 days while Dad, Joy and I fly out to Murfreesboro to get the lay of the land. We are praying that we will be able to find a home that fits our budget and our needs. We then return to FL and rest a day or two. Then off to Disney to use the last day of our 5 day passes. We also plan to take advantage of Sea World's military member discount and introduce Joy to Shamu. We will be returning back to the island on the 6th of October.

We are staying busy with school and swim lessons for the little ones. We are also trying to take advantage of this nice weather for as long we can. We are going to freeze in TN this winter!!! Our blood has grown thin with all these years in the Caribbean. I see some Snuggies in our future!

Head em up and Move em out

The day has finally come. Our military journey is nearing its end.
The first sign~ MARK HAS A JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has taken a job with the Veteran's Administration in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He will be the FCIO (Facility Chief Information Officer) for the consolidated mail order outpatient pharmacy (CMOP). In laymen's terms he will ensure the computers that fill the prescriptions for our vets are up and running at all times. Over 70,000 prescriptions a day go through this facility. We are so proud of his hard work and thankful to God for allowing him this opportunity. We are excited about our new adventure and all that Tennessee has to offer! To our SC friends~ our doors will always be open!!

Today, our household goods were boxed and tomorrow they will be crated for shipment to the good ol' USA!!

Oh so Good!

Just had to post these pics of our crew enjoying some watermelon at beach. Boone loved it!!

So..... Do you have a job yet???

The question of the day for us lately has been- "Do you have a job yet?" The answer, as of today, is no. However, we trust that the Lord has it all worked out.

For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.
Jeremiah 29: 11-12

Of course, I would be lying if I didn't say our stress is building. However, we are determined to enjoy our last weeks here in Gitmo. The kids are on their 5th week of school and working diligently so they will be able to take time off during our actual move. I am proud of their hard work thus far. Mark has had a few interviews, but hasn't heard back from any of them. He has applications in from VA, west to TN and down to FL. He recently went to the states and bought his long dreamed of truck (2006 Toyota Tundra) and a 2001 travel trailer. Our plan is to stay in the camper until we are able to move into a house, saving us a ton on hotel bills. I am sure that will be an adventure in itself!! Please lift us up in your prayers as we prepare for the the transition into civilian life. We look forward to being back within visiting distance soon!

Tucker

As part of our history this year we are journeying through the Eastern Hemisphere learning about the culturals of many different nations. We have already studied Oceania and this week wrapped up our study of Australia and New Zealand. As a final project the kids made salt dough maps of each country. Then, we had an Australia/New Zealand family night. The kids helped me make leg of lamb, roasted potatoes, beerroot (red beets) and damper bread. We completed the night with games, native desserts Pavlova and Anzac cookies, and the Crocodile Hunter movie. I love hands on learning!!

Boomerang