tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80087369525874782992024-02-18T22:55:59.340-08:00Forever... Chosen... LovedOur daughter took a trip to China to Maria's Big House of Hope. After returning home Katie shared stories and pictures of children that needed forever families. There was one particular child that captured our attention and heart, and we felt a unexplainable connection to this little one.
Pray for our family as we walk through all the steps of the adoption process.teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-71360430146374935822023-03-05T19:26:00.003-08:002023-03-05T20:16:05.313-08:00It’s Been a While<p> <span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 17px;">Can I be transparent? To some this may be uncomfortable. I don’t intend to offend; quite the opposite, I want to share how God has begun to answer a prayer of mine.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Let me back up… like ten years. Our family had just adopted our daughter, Jaelynn. If you know our family you know that Jaelynn has special needs and when we first brought her home we spent a lot of time at doctors appointments, having medical tests, procedures, surgeries, and just adjusting to help Jaelynn adjust to a new life in the United States. During this time our family went through one of the toughest experiences we have ever faced at our church, where my husband is pastor. We made it through this experience, but not unscathed. <span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>I have struggled with trust and anxiety since this happened. Attending church triggered anxiety. If I saw a leader at church pull my husband aside to talk to him it triggered anxiety and made me physically sick. I remember talking to my husband and crying that I wanted to love church again like I once had. Just when I’d think that my heart was healing something would happen and I’d take the proverbial one step forward and two steps back. Today I can say that I think God has been working on my heart and that I have started to love church once again. </span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">My children have felt the effects of this situation also and for a short time one even struggled with “the church” and was wondering if he really wanted to serve in ministry. God, through faithful people like college professors worked in his life and now he is serving in full time ministry.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">I am thankful that God kept chipping away at my heart and though it has taken a long time, I am beginning to experience the joy and love that I once had for church and ministry.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">God brought people in my life that have spoken life into me. One friend in particular has unknowingly challenged me by her walk with the Lord.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Dr Erwin Lutzer spoke at our church in January and he talked about how people are “deconstructing” their faith. I do not want to be like some of the examples he shared in his message that have deconstructed their faith and walked away from the Lord and His church. He used the life of Asaph as an example of someone who did not deconstruct his faith even in difficult times. I want to always remember that no matter what happens God holds, guides, loves, cares, and strengthens me and that God is good.(Psalms 73)</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-size: 17px; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;">Does this mean I have it all together and that I don’t ever get tripped up? I wish, but no it does not. It just means I will put my trust in the ONE who I can always depend on and the ONE who loves me.</span></p>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-89932439889221974532016-02-19T17:09:00.000-08:002016-02-19T17:09:00.125-08:00Women of FaithSo many thoughts are going through my mind today, so here goes my ramblings.<br />
We've all had moments where we look back at events in our lives and feel a tinge of sadness or nostalgia over a certain period of time, Not because it was a sad time but because we long to have one of those moments back. Perhaps the way you felt on your wedding day, or the day your children were born, their first steps, the day they started kindergarten and High School (Abby starts High School next year!), seeing your children marry their best friend. I had this sadness or nostalgia feeling last night when I went to see the Women of Faith: An Amazing Joyful Journey movie.<br />
I remember going to my very first Women of Faith conference, The Great Adventure, in 2003. I wasn't particularly looking forward to it and was doing it because it was the nice Pastor's wife thing to do since I had been approached by a few woman to organize a group to go. I had NO idea the impact these conferences would have on my life. From the moment that even started, I was was drawn in. The conference started with thousands of woman worshipping through music. Hearing thousands of Women singing together was like nothing I had ever heard. Then the speakers got up and spoke. They were relevant, funny, encouraging, and they all shared messages of God's love and redemption. When you left that arena Saturday evening you knew God loved you and you knew that the only way to experience the joy and peace was through a personal relationship with Christ and you were very clearly given the opportunity to make that decision.<br />
Every year after that first conference I looked forward to attending. I became a group leader and brought as many as 30 ladies.<br />
In 2009 I attended the conference in Tampa, FL and one of the guest speakers was Mary Beth Chapman. Mary Beth spoke about the tragic loss of their sweet Maria Sue and the struggles their family had gone through. I purchased her book "Choosing To See" at the conference and little did I know at the time, how God would use that book to change the Altman family... Forever. It was this book that Katie read and then felt called to take a short missions trip to Luoyang, China to show God's love to orphans. I think you know the rest of the story. Well I guess it isn't the rest of the story because our story is still being written<br />
Women of Faith has been a blessing in my relationships. I've developed relationships that started by attending a conference with some women from my church. I don't think I would have gotten to know these women the way that I did if it wasn't for attending a conference together.<br />
I can't say enough about the quality of the speakers I've heard over the years. I just love hearing Lucy speak and tell stories about her mother and daddy and her brothers. It has reminded me of the kind of legacy I want to leave for my children. Patsy Clairmont uses words the way an artist uses a pencil and paints. She has a way of saying something in a powerful way. Shelia's honesty and vulnerability is always refreshing. God has used her brokenness to encourage so many women who struggle with clinical depression. Marilyn Meberg has my sense of humor....it's a little quirky. I love the story about the Ajax sticker, and David better watch out for one of those stickers, you never know when it could appear (you had to be there). More than her humor, I love how Marilyn could end the conferences with an invitation to accept Christ as your Savior. Thelma Wells is a picture of strength. She allowed a difficult childhood and racial issues during her years as a young woman to mold her into the woman of faith she is today, when it could have done the opposite. Stories of God's mercy and grace from people like Sandy Patty, Tammy Trent, Carol Kent, and Jennifer Rothschild have been etched in my heart and I will not forget them. Then there is Mary Graham. You could not attend a conference and not feel welcome if Mary was there. I remember when Florida was having the string of hurricanes and life was stressful. We had left our home not knowing what would be left when we returned during one of the storms and when we came home and everything was well, there was a recorded telephone message from Mary Graham telling the people of Florida that Women of Faith was praying for us. I know it was a recorded message, but I felt like she was talking directly to me.<br />
I feel sad and nostalgic as I write this blog, but just like with my children, God will continue to write a story of bigger and better things. I am looking forward to attending the Belong Tour with Patsy Clairmont and Jenn Hatmaker with my girlfriends and my daughter and daughter in law and I can't wait to make new memories with them!<br />
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teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-32907250660271336252016-01-02T08:51:00.001-08:002016-01-02T08:51:30.293-08:00Reflecting and Remembering..... 2015In July of 2011 I heard the first whispers of God to begin the journey of adopting Jaelynn. Once we were confident that we were hearing Him correctly we began the paperwork that would bring her home in just a little over a year. Life was a whirlwind and we THOUGHT that once we had her home things would slow down and we would have normalcy. Boy was I wrong! That first year at home brought many appointments with specialists, surgeries, and adjustments for everyone.<br />
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This year has been no exception for our family as the whirlwind continues! In 2015 we welcomed two new members to our our family. No, we haven't adopted again, our oldest two children were married. Katie married Cole last January. They had a beautiful wedding and are getting ready to celebrate their first anniversary already. Matthew married Rebecca on November 7 in a secret garden themed wedding. It was a magical day! We are so thankful for Cole and Rebecca and for the relationship we have with them. It is a great thing when you love and get along with the one God has given your child. It makes letting them go a lot easier. Thank you Cole for loving our daughter and for making her laugh, we don't take that for granted. And thank you Rebecca for loving our son and supporting him as you both seek Gods direction for the future.<br />
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Abby became a teenager this year. I find it so hard to believe she is 13 already. I'm thankful for her sweet easy going personality and her sensitivity to the Lord. She enjoyed her first missions trip in June to Nicaragua. I am looking forward to seeing what God has in store for her in the future.<br />
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Jaelynn turned 9 the day after Christmas. She is growing up quickly. She had a big back surgery in September. This was one of the toughest surgeries as far as pain goes, but that has gotten much better. Her back is still healing. She will follow up with the orthopedic surgeon soon and have X-rays to check things out and be sure everything is healing well... I have a few concerns. We also found out that she has mild sleep apnea and will need to have her tonsils and adenoids removed. We had scheduled it for the end of January, but with the doctors approval we decided to wait until summer. Missing a lot of school and making up work is tough!<br />
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David and I celebrated 25 years of marriage in June. Where has the time gone? We celebrated by going on a cruise.... Just the two of us (thanks Katie and Cole for keeping the girls!). We had such a great time! Marriage is such a wonderful gift and I'm so very thankful for my husband and best friend. God has been so good to us!<br />
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I'm so thankful God writes our stories because this is so much better than anything I could have written. Now I'll sit back and anxiously await the next chapter. 😊<br />
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teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-29188659220542608312015-07-14T07:58:00.000-07:002015-07-14T07:58:08.855-07:00Time Flies When You're Having Fun!I has been quite some time since I blogged, but with Wednesday being the three year anniversary of the day we received Jaelynn's referral and some new things going on it seemed like a good time to catch anyone interested up.<br />
The last time I blogged, Jaelynn was recovering from her back surgery and had started kindergarten. She has now completed first grade. She has struggled with reading and we are working hard on that this summer, but overall she is doing great in school. She has been an example to others that a wheelchair doesn't mean you can not do things, but that you may do things differently.<br />
Jaelynn's personality is very much as it always has been. She likes to be in control of most everything from the television and what she wears to what her older (13 year old) sister is doing. During a recent field day at school, there were not many activities she could participate in, so she took control of organizing the class and telling them exactly what to do.<br />
She is nosey! She thinks she needs to be a part of all conversations and we often have to remind her that, "we are not talking to you" and "its none of your business!" (Insert an eye roll here)😜 She is LOUD and I can usually find her by listening for her voice, so much like her father!<br />
She loves her family and is very forgiving when we mess up. She loves when we are all home together... Just the way I like it too.<br />
Physically, Jaelynn has been healthy. She has had her growing rods lengthened in her back about every six months. Just a month ago she had a more involved surgery for her bowel and bladder. It wasn't a surgery she had to have, but certainly one that has and will continue to be a life changer for her and for me. It has given her more independence and it means she can spend the night away from me. She is excited to stay with her cousins one day!<br />
It seems as though almost every time Jaelynn has some type of surgery it is delayed somewhat because of some issue going on with her heart, ether a fast heart rate, irregular heartbeat, or high pulmonary pressures. Her last surgery was no exception. She was admitted the day before surgery and a physicians assistant came in to check her out and found that she had an irregular heart beat. This led to a EKG being ordered, then an echocardiogram, and then an overnight holter monitor. This caused surgery to be delayed by a couple of hours because the cardiologist had to go over the findings before allowing surgery. All of the results came back fine except that she had some mild pulmonary hypertension, so she was cleared for surgery.<br />
We have worked with anesthesiologists and finally found anesthesia that works well and doesn't cause delirium as she wakes up. We are thankful surgery and recovery went well.<br />
We followed up with the cardiologist on Monday and Jaelynn had another echocardiogram. She still has the mild pulmonary hypertension and is being referred to a pulmonologist. They also found some other problem, so she is being scheduled for a specialized MRI of her heart. One possibility of what it could be is an ASD (a hole in her heart). An ASD is repairable, so that would be the best and probable case. Would you please pray for us during this period of testing and uncertainty? We kind of had an idea about her other physical problems before bringing her home, but this is a bit of a surprise (not that it would have played a role in us adopting her). Heart issues are a bit scary!<br />
Last night at dinner we were talking about the circumstances surrounding our decision to adopt Jaelynn and we told Jaelynn about when Katie came home from her China trip in 2011 and how she asked people to pray for a special little girl named Jaelynn who was at Maria's Big House of Hope and had spina bifida. Katie asked people to pray for a family for this special girl. Isn't it fun to look back at how God answers prayers! Adoption changes lives. I know it changed mine!<br />
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teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-40025343748373328702013-11-18T09:12:00.001-08:002013-11-18T13:27:04.776-08:00A Year of Reflecting<div><span style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Wow, I find it so hard to believe that one year ago today,</span><span style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "> </span><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">November 19</a><span style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "> </span><span style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">(China time, they are 13 hours ahead of us), we were given the gift of another child. That day and the emotions of that time are still so fresh in my mind. There have been so many sweet moments since that time. There have also been some hard times and with those hard times many lessons learned.</span></div><div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFVv853am-P3tktM0nbZQrDYPNw7WJKXrTKC0sLSl4cnP7rBbUl1gUe7pta6jARVRKkSdkJiPjq-wUA1eS_FRsW51MrCP43sKmoP7qkNu4OlrNQhBUmcs-myg8hTxteO3K9zaNfTSg2Td/s640/blogger-image--935211869.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaFVv853am-P3tktM0nbZQrDYPNw7WJKXrTKC0sLSl4cnP7rBbUl1gUe7pta6jARVRKkSdkJiPjq-wUA1eS_FRsW51MrCP43sKmoP7qkNu4OlrNQhBUmcs-myg8hTxteO3K9zaNfTSg2Td/s640/blogger-image--935211869.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHqDJmWCMIBUDb7CmPPB5A5dnTta-sHaxvroyskizqeyMmKlmrtuJIdl0BXaZ5GLcI2iBq05UGtsoLJvZNiEyHh9pHDlRSgBT_UUj_28CDIdSXVhWUuZfjumIEGusXmMZ_RDu_nM3EYkl/s640/blogger-image-1620540091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPHqDJmWCMIBUDb7CmPPB5A5dnTta-sHaxvroyskizqeyMmKlmrtuJIdl0BXaZ5GLcI2iBq05UGtsoLJvZNiEyHh9pHDlRSgBT_UUj_28CDIdSXVhWUuZfjumIEGusXmMZ_RDu_nM3EYkl/s640/blogger-image-1620540091.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">The overriding lesson has been trusting in a Sovereign God. We trusted God throughout the process of the adoption, but when Jaelynn was placed into my arms, I began to learn a whole new level of trust. I will admit when I first held Jaelynn there was a part of me that was panic stricken. I was no longer reading reports or seeing pictures of her special needs, I was holding a special girl with special needs, and it was frightening. How would I actually take care of her? Had we been over zealous and emotional in deciphering God's will to adopt her? Surely there was someone better equipped to take care of such a special little girl. It was obvious after meeting her that she would need a lot of medical care. I knew this before, but after signing papers that made her legally our daughter, the responsibility felt even more real. Very soon we saw beyond Jaelynn's special needs and saw a five year old that needed a mama and baba like any other five year old. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTv6aMKH0LtTuik-VtHoVubp0w8ogQl0vMk_1AO2bP-sG7qzqMgWbdizB_KP3FVICG9t23s3QghuIQo69KC2nQ_oqUbKDqAGkHIyNF-kPF6x6NpFR0nse6hagptyqj5eu-RbNCb-QK0GMG/s640/blogger-image-823974025.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTv6aMKH0LtTuik-VtHoVubp0w8ogQl0vMk_1AO2bP-sG7qzqMgWbdizB_KP3FVICG9t23s3QghuIQo69KC2nQ_oqUbKDqAGkHIyNF-kPF6x6NpFR0nse6hagptyqj5eu-RbNCb-QK0GMG/s640/blogger-image-823974025.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><div>The Lord was good to us during our time in China. We only had one day that none of us would ever care to repeat, but even looking back on that day, we are now able to laugh (mostly). </div><div>It was amazing to us that though Jaelynn had never been part of a family, she seemed to have an understanding of what a family was, and she was happy to be a part of us and she fit perfectly.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizDXLWhwBPRs89J6BGgSXxwpXOIgHCHyqmO-S38trTK3jryTWApWWQv6j20rLtNWBKXVjJ3WaqEgOkMlIouDUllW4j6OCW66WoAd9X7I0o4ZTGnDywgRvAJK9PTDEdaW3gatsgyoz0vJz/s640/blogger-image-595234124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiizDXLWhwBPRs89J6BGgSXxwpXOIgHCHyqmO-S38trTK3jryTWApWWQv6j20rLtNWBKXVjJ3WaqEgOkMlIouDUllW4j6OCW66WoAd9X7I0o4ZTGnDywgRvAJK9PTDEdaW3gatsgyoz0vJz/s640/blogger-image-595234124.jpg"></a></div><br></div></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">We are very thankful how God has taken care of Jaelynn during her recent surgeries. Things did not always go the way we planned, but God was good to us and she is doing great now. We are not sure what will be next but we are confident that God will continue to care for her. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Soon after returning home with Jaelynn it seemed as though the devil was hard at work to discourage me and once again I had to fully trust in The Lord and remember how He had been faithful to us and know that He wasn't going to forget about us now that the adoption was finalized. Between health insurance issues and having to switch companies after meeting the deductible with another company, I was frightened and frustrated. I was confident that I had done the right thing by quitting my job, but the devil was whispering otherwise. I became so worried about all of these things and trying to figure things out on my own that it began to take a toll on me physically. I experienced feelings I have never had and I hope I never have again. I wasn't sleeping well and didn't like being alone. Then we went through a very difficult ministry situation and I knew I had to relinquish all of my anxiety to The Lord. This isn't an easy thing to do, but as I did I recognized how God had been faithful, even in the midst of a very dark time. I saw how he sent just the right amount of encouragement at just the right time. I went from thinking God, what have WE done?, to God, thank you for what YOU have done, thank you for choosing us to be a part of Jaelynn's life. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">It has been exciting to see Jaelynn flourish over the last 12 months. When we first came home I couldn't even take a shower without her sitting outside the bathroom door and talking to me the entire time making sure I didn't disappear. Now she goes to Sunday School, kindergarten, and does really well on the rare occasions I have leave her in someone else's care. She is doing quite well in school and is making friends. Physically Jaelynn is doing well. She will be finishing a seven week course of IV antibiotics this Friday (YAY). She is starting to move around a lot again. She is even beginning to do some standing exercises (remember she only has the use of her left leg). It is fun to see her accomplish new tasks and see how pleased she is with herself. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMPEW12UOfOvdJPC029-GPgRRGEC_CuQl-f043Y7xaI80Lbi0upzGkowPqd-oGoTXU9J4hgP3PjC3meWx0g11dht3bLcQxBTbGAb-wU3wKaK42Pustl0PtfEFvsPTHDXVB19BKE55LiRv/s640/blogger-image--721600654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtMPEW12UOfOvdJPC029-GPgRRGEC_CuQl-f043Y7xaI80Lbi0upzGkowPqd-oGoTXU9J4hgP3PjC3meWx0g11dht3bLcQxBTbGAb-wU3wKaK42Pustl0PtfEFvsPTHDXVB19BKE55LiRv/s640/blogger-image--721600654.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Jaelynn is very much like any other child and we are daily working on issues like patience and obedience. There are daily reminders for her as she likes to test boundaries. She can give you the definition of both of these words and has even been known to point out to us when we are not being patient. (Which is more often than I'd like to admit)</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Since being home we've experienced many firsts with Jaelynn. We celebrated her first Christmas just about 3 weeks after arriving home. Those days are a bit of a blur as we were settling in to life as a family of six. In January we were able to take a day trip to Disney's Magic Kingdom. My parents and sister were able to join us for that special day and we had a great time. In May, thanks to a very sweet and generous friend, we were so thankful to be able to travel to Nashville for Show Hope's 10th Anniversary Celebration. I can't even describe how fun it was to see so many children together again on this side of the world.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerYg4inYzXhHwyvgOqjxslww8QYwRPZuvv3uhOS4tu3_dIcvsYWKbvboKgogx36j11d4yLt9ACMiKRG5wzB84041qkodFyxfOTe9K1eGhsRSlUX8pnf_NqfW7I6aDTTlXym72VtELcsan/s640/blogger-image--41877377.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjerYg4inYzXhHwyvgOqjxslww8QYwRPZuvv3uhOS4tu3_dIcvsYWKbvboKgogx36j11d4yLt9ACMiKRG5wzB84041qkodFyxfOTe9K1eGhsRSlUX8pnf_NqfW7I6aDTTlXym72VtELcsan/s640/blogger-image--41877377.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmeH5zKvR1fAVfWSXkzdHgR0Oobv4QaUYpMdvBC-xwf5XTuG5YhUUEyaXVGyeExJACLPyFbepaK63psEroPLde1P-ucTuNhgQoa6L-WCNCf3XE1pXEZf8lS9jHgGP5CY9SM_KJOfCaDQ4u/s640/blogger-image-2130570931.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmeH5zKvR1fAVfWSXkzdHgR0Oobv4QaUYpMdvBC-xwf5XTuG5YhUUEyaXVGyeExJACLPyFbepaK63psEroPLde1P-ucTuNhgQoa6L-WCNCf3XE1pXEZf8lS9jHgGP5CY9SM_KJOfCaDQ4u/s640/blogger-image-2130570931.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "> </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. David, Jaelynn and I were together last Thanksgiving, but we were in Zhengzhou, China. I really missed the rest of my family that day and I am excited to spend our first Thanksgiving together as a family. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNQ6jrhxlNgdGUYtsTLX6nVQZN6ab7SqR3xVobKLqu0hTB4WjRzXLNCaEorTTHCnmWsnAp3_ug62ps7Sz-Q8j257XbSgDESyq26wWGKecJoJcY8GCI0DUjIr2kvYzB2ghqeeGaDZdXg0c/s640/blogger-image--60011245.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSNQ6jrhxlNgdGUYtsTLX6nVQZN6ab7SqR3xVobKLqu0hTB4WjRzXLNCaEorTTHCnmWsnAp3_ug62ps7Sz-Q8j257XbSgDESyq26wWGKecJoJcY8GCI0DUjIr2kvYzB2ghqeeGaDZdXg0c/s640/blogger-image--60011245.jpg"></a></div>(Taken last Thanksgiving)</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">On November 19, 2012, 13 children became orphans no more as CCAI travel group 1928 welcomed these children into their families. Happy Gotcha Day to all of those families. I think of you and your children often and those first happy and difficult days as we were getting to know our children. </div></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03YrbZtIxa9SWqWF5mbfru7N4han8pvZLVy_LpeuCkDfY_p29c012m_2uWH8AZwuvbTNfd7JwJ8ffYcZTRlreLLbZVd_KUpIptlRV8R4UouDvMDAc9WqxjmOQofolUuvBp52FzguFv_jB/s640/blogger-image-227668162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj03YrbZtIxa9SWqWF5mbfru7N4han8pvZLVy_LpeuCkDfY_p29c012m_2uWH8AZwuvbTNfd7JwJ8ffYcZTRlreLLbZVd_KUpIptlRV8R4UouDvMDAc9WqxjmOQofolUuvBp52FzguFv_jB/s640/blogger-image-227668162.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-74965292437964232232013-11-06T06:12:00.001-08:002013-11-06T08:17:11.263-08:00National Adoption Month - What are you gonna do?<span style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">,I had a blog post all ready in my head to post last night until yesterday happened and things didn't go according to MY plan. You see God had other plans for yesterday. I planned to blog about how happy I was that we (Jaelynn) were finished with hospital procedures and surgeries for a while, but shortly after arriving at All Children's Hospital early yesterday morning and seeing Jaelynn off for her minor surgery the doctor returned from the OR to let me know that she did fine with the anesthesia but because of some swelling we weren't aware of he was unable to perform the procedure and that she will need to return in a couple of weeks for a second attempt. If the swelling is still there then they will have to take a more invasive approach to accomplish what needs to be done and would require approximately three nights in the hospital. Jaelynn had a very bad headache when she was waking up from anesthesia which made her quite upset. Thankfully they were able to give her medication and it wasn't too long before she was feeling good enough to leave the hospital and she has been great since. We are waiting to hear when we will return for the second attempt. Though we were disappointed that things didn't go our way, we know that God's ways are higher and this was no surprise to Him and we are thankful that Jaelynn is doing well over all. The wound on her back that has been so slow to heal is finally healing and she is finally able to crawl and move around by herself again.</span><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Jaelynn is back to kindergarten and doing very well and now that she has been cleared by the doctor, the physical therapist can begin to work with her again. Our goal is to teach her to do as much as possible so that she can be as independent as possible. David and I are often reminded as we lift her and carry her around that she will not be 34 pounds forever and as much as we do not like to admit it, we are getting older. Of COURSE David is older than me (just want to make sure everyone knows this). Jaelynn, like all children also enjoys learning to be independent, so why would we not want that for her?</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Katie is doing great and it is hard to believe that she will be graduating from Clearwater Christian College in just a little over a year (December 2014). </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Matt is enjoying his first semester at college (also at Clearwater Christian). He is in a couple of the music groups and he has a You Tube Channel that he enjoys making videos for.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">I am excited that Abby is enjoying middle school and is doing very well. She received her first report card and she had straight A's. We plan on taking her out for a special dinner soon to celebrate. She has been enjoying being a nursery helper at church lately and this week during our missions conference she has enjoyed taking care of some little ones. She is growing up!</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Well this month is National Adoption Month. Adoption doesn't have to call you to the other side of the world. There are children in the foster care system here in the states who need to know the love of a family and more importantly the love of a Savior. Have you felt God calling you to foster or adopt? Please don't brush that nudging away. You could be missing one of the biggest blessings ever. Is adoption hard?... Yes. Is worth it? ...YES. I'd love to share our story or just talk to anyone who is considering adoption. If God hasn't called you to adopt that doesn't mean you stand back and do nothing. I know families who are raising funds to bring a child home that you could help. You could also become a Show Hope sponsor. Visit showhope.org or contact me if you have any questions. Your monthly donation helps provide waiting children with medical care and also provides waiting families with adoption grants. It is a great feeling to see pictures of children who are now with their families as a result of a grant or to see children thriving because of medical care they are receiving and to know that you played a part in their story. So I'll leave you with this question, what are YOU gonna do?</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-71035952047428082502013-10-26T19:27:00.001-07:002013-10-26T19:27:23.597-07:00Time Flies When You're Having Fun<div><span style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></span></div><span style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">In the adoption process there are certain dates that are monumental. One of those dates is the day you receive your TA (travel approval). Tomorrow 10/26 (or probably today, depending on when I post this) will mark one year that I checked my email and found the most exciting news..... We had travel approval! All that was left to do was to schedule our consulate appointment and buy our plane tickets. It began to feel real and we began to pack suitcases for the trip of a lifetime. It is hard to believe it has been a year since that exciting news, and so much has happened in that year.</span><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">When we prayerfully made the decision to adopt Jaelynn, I never doubted that God would provide a way for us to do it and I rarely worried about how we would take care of a child with special needs. In the last couple of months my faith doesn't feel as strong as it did back then. I still know that God will continue to take care of us, but some days it is hard to see past our present circumstances. The last two months have been difficult as we get past one hurdle physically only to meet a new challenge. It has been an exhausting time which have added to feelings of loneliness and frustration. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Though we had some tough days, God again has been faithful. He has taken care of Jaelynn in some situations that were very scary and she is on the road to recovery. Things are starting to slow down and I'm looking forward to not having weekly appointments that are two hours away. Jaelynn has handled things fairly well but she is very intuitive and always has her ears open to make sure she knows everything that is going on. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">She has been back to school for about two weeks and she loves it. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0bWgkJSmysygDoENFB0FXY1cS6qgXHRNYHuxIO3NR8sWrNtcSQNhpR2GfC6VtVkn-oYyAjFSNKGYbWR7w9yKlFMqRdSpWV8kqJ7gwT0wLqTzzIHdXwP4GNM04ShY7hyphenhyphenuxWEOBTmfy1ur/s640/blogger-image-2141764239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ0bWgkJSmysygDoENFB0FXY1cS6qgXHRNYHuxIO3NR8sWrNtcSQNhpR2GfC6VtVkn-oYyAjFSNKGYbWR7w9yKlFMqRdSpWV8kqJ7gwT0wLqTzzIHdXwP4GNM04ShY7hyphenhyphenuxWEOBTmfy1ur/s640/blogger-image-2141764239.jpg"></a></div></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "> She is looking forward to celebrating her seventh birthday. Because of some confusion over her birthdate she hasn't celebrated a birthday since coming home. She has requested a princess tea party with lots of sparkle. She is most definitely a girly girl and loves all things pink and sparkly. It's hard to believe it has been a year since we first met our girl. She has blossomed every day from a little girl who did everything to please us to a feisty little girl who is not afraid to speak her mind or give an opinion. At times it can make you want to pull your hair out, but then I think about it and I am thankful she feels so comfortable with her family and that her adjustment has been smooth.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Medically she has a small outpatient surgery coming up in about a week. She will also require small outpatient surgeries about every six to nine months to lengthen the rod in her back to guide her growth. She had several incisions on her back and most have healed up nicely, but she has one that is not healing. Please pray that it would begin to heal and that it would not require any further surgeries. She also had a small spinal fluid leak after the first surgery in August. The neurosurgeon is going to follow up with an MRI in December to make sure it is not any worse. If she begins to have any symptoms she will need to have the MRI before December. She is a tough little girl and has touched many hearts as she has interacted with doctors and nurses over end last several weeks. Our desire is to be a light and advocate for the least of these even through the hard situations. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Thank you to everyone who has been an encouragement to us. We really appreciate all the prayers and concern for Jaelynn. The road ahead may have some bumps in it, but we know we are not alone. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Saturday night update:</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Jaelynn had a full day today. We started the day off with a community picnic and then did a little bit of shopping. We ended the day with trick or treating (where we live trick or treating is always the Saturday before Halloween). This was her first time to trick or treat and she had a ball! We also got to go on a hay ride which she also enjoyed. She was pretty tired tonight at bedtime. I think she will sleep well.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlT47KuPISsShDPmJVj2wH_PvojBFGpq5Qq0Nh2hNNBg_2tXdxWlb4_D9haLu0KPhmCoQHg8WZnma0pIESzJfWSEA4M1oAY22EmnPUQDGQvDvLipkxpPnnZUIKh9CQg_psyU4HUQTMNST/s640/blogger-image-2064872651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOlT47KuPISsShDPmJVj2wH_PvojBFGpq5Qq0Nh2hNNBg_2tXdxWlb4_D9haLu0KPhmCoQHg8WZnma0pIESzJfWSEA4M1oAY22EmnPUQDGQvDvLipkxpPnnZUIKh9CQg_psyU4HUQTMNST/s640/blogger-image-2064872651.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfMn8GjFi_QbZaJF6K3BJPOXL9m5yvIEqZAC_smzkEPk3GMamBDOCvqpK-ZaDJ9l56lyxM-eLdUWo182hrlL5jdA3fRPw_w8y_y3EGQriCwcQ-B3-d9_nHI83FfdJatdAJ6TXVoQsWiKl/s640/blogger-image-512830393.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfMn8GjFi_QbZaJF6K3BJPOXL9m5yvIEqZAC_smzkEPk3GMamBDOCvqpK-ZaDJ9l56lyxM-eLdUWo182hrlL5jdA3fRPw_w8y_y3EGQriCwcQ-B3-d9_nHI83FfdJatdAJ6TXVoQsWiKl/s640/blogger-image-512830393.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-40933311742851787002013-09-07T17:55:00.001-07:002013-09-07T18:01:30.986-07:00Scary Times and Happy Endings<div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Friday:</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Well it has been a roller coaster 10 days. Many of these details I posted about on Facebook, but I decided to write it all out so that I could reflect on God's goodness. If you enjoy details continue reading, if not then the important thing is that Jaelynn is doing great and should be going home soon.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "> Jaelynn was admitted to St. Joseph's Children's Hospital in Tampa last Wednesday for a two part (anterior and posterior) surgery for severe scoliosis. The first surgery on Wednesday went great. She did fine with anesthesia and the doctor was able to accomplish what he hoped for that day. A chest x-ray that afternoon after surgery showed that she had developed a pneumothorax (the collection of air in the space around the lungs. This buildup of air puts pressure on the lung, so it cannot expand as much as it normally does when you take a breath). It was most likely caused by the placement of the central line that was placed during surgery. The plan was to keep an eye on it and if it didn't resolve itself they would treat it on Friday when she was scheduled for the second part of scoliosis surgery. On Thursday night Jaelynn's heart rate kept increasing. It went as high as the 180's (normal for her age is like 100-135). She did not have a fever which can often cause an increase. Another measurement that was off for Jaelynn was her CVP (central venous pressure) which as I understand it is a direct measurement of the blood pressure in the right atrium and vena cava. This was measured through the central line that was placed Jaelynn's jugular. The number that we wanted to see is between 3-9, Jaelynn's numbers began to rise with her heart rate and got as high as the 40's. These numbers all pointed to overhydration and heart failure.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Friday morning arrived and several doctors were in and out of the room deciding whether or not it was safe for her to have surgery. They consulted with a cardiologist who ordered an echocardiogram. No one had to say a word we could tell by the the expression on the faces in the room that something was very wrong. The right side of Jaelynn's heart was not functioning and she was experiencing heart failure. We now wondered how long this had been going on, because she has never had any symptoms of any heart or lung issues. The doctors knew after seeing this echo that surgery would not happen that day. The cardiologist ordered all fluids to be stopped and she was put on lasix to help reduce the fluids in her body. A repeat of the echo that afternoon showed slight improvement and the echo the next morning showed even more improvement, but the cardiologist wanted to determine if this was an acute event or something that had been going on in Jaelynn's body and we just didn't know it. The surgeon placed a chest tube at her bedside and that resolved the pneumothorax and the cardiolgist decided to do a heart cath on Monday morning. If the results were good then the back surgery could be performed right after that. Praise The Lord, the results of the cath were good and her heart seems to be okay. The cardiologist feels like this was an acute event due to a combination of the pneumothorax and being overhydrated and she said that the heart was recovering well. We had a follow up echo today and will find out if her heart has fully recovered from everything soon. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">She was taken from the cath lab to the OR and the doctor made his first incision at noon and finished just before 5 PM. Needless to say Monday was a very long day and a day I do not wish to repeat. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Since the second surgery Jaelynn's heart rate and fluid balance has been a little tricky, but it seems to be controlled well now. She spiked a fever of 103 during the night last night, but a little Tylenol helped with that. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Today Jaelynn was moved from the ICU to a regular room. The room is much more comfortable and it has a bathroom I can use, YAY. Now again this afternoon she spiked a fever of 104. Someone will be in shortly to check it again, and I'm praying it has come down. You'd never know she had a fever by the way she is acting, she has been very pleasant all day. I think she is excited about the possibility of going home soon since she has met all the milestones the doctor set for her. She's been sitting up in bed and the chair in the room. For short periods she has even sat in her wheelchair, which is a little bit more painful. She is also eating well.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Looking back on the events of the last 10 days, I am very thankful for so many things. I am thankful that the doctor in the ICU consulted with a cardiologist and that the cardiologist ordered and echocardiogram of Jaelynn's heart. Had she gone into surgery on Friday when she was experiencing heart failure, the results would be very different than they are now. Needless to say the technician that performed the test as well as the doctors are very thankful too. I am thankful that through every rough spot the doctors here have been wonderful and have explained things to us so well. We've had great nurses, a special shout out to Ashley who went above and beyond being a great nurse. She stayed with Jaelynn during the process of getting her second chest tube when Jaelynn was so scared and promised to protect Jaelynn with her life since David and I had to leave the room. I'm thankful for the results of the surgery. Though Jaelynn's spine curvature is not perfect, it is so much better than before which will help her in so many ways. I'm thankful for the doctors and nurses that we were able to share our adoption story with, it was evident that Jaelynn touched their heart. I'm thankful for everyone that prayed for Jaelynn and our family over the last 11 days, we felt them all.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><br></div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Saturday update:</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Woo Hoo, the doctor decided to let Jaelynn come home today. We stopped by my parents house but we've been home now for a few hours and it feels great! We got the results of the latest echo and it showed just a small amount of pleural fluid. We will have a repeat echo in a few days and will also follow up with the spine doctor.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Below is a picture of Jaelynn with Dr Riggs who is one of the doctors in the ICU that treated Jaelynn. The one in the surgeons cap is the general surgeon who assisted the spine surgeon in the first surgery and who placed the chest tubes. We'll post more pictures of the staff that were an important part of Jaelynn's care later.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NCXX3Ne4h5CJiE0rVuuXUZXe8E4VkuTfRhFoxS77wDFiYANkHgzClsMLp8AxAWoEMgIxa6DLieO2zo_NRRReAF-VFWnhG3pJqWlhgQ9p4uNyF1I9cLusTgZDk3dm_fOAtV5HjPhE93I6/s640/blogger-image-686164213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2NCXX3Ne4h5CJiE0rVuuXUZXe8E4VkuTfRhFoxS77wDFiYANkHgzClsMLp8AxAWoEMgIxa6DLieO2zo_NRRReAF-VFWnhG3pJqWlhgQ9p4uNyF1I9cLusTgZDk3dm_fOAtV5HjPhE93I6/s640/blogger-image-686164213.jpg"></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-1MGVjORrlESbRg4mW3_6Qq5swQPo4YC_F6fPMcET2tKOHZUg1WKSoPcc9aM3LAI6lUqOo3DlnHNM99yX-QM31E6V2PBXbDbumW7c82MkVPN8i10mT6VljnWX6TiV6CYLOFo2ibFhcJ3/s640/blogger-image-621838835.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz-1MGVjORrlESbRg4mW3_6Qq5swQPo4YC_F6fPMcET2tKOHZUg1WKSoPcc9aM3LAI6lUqOo3DlnHNM99yX-QM31E6V2PBXbDbumW7c82MkVPN8i10mT6VljnWX6TiV6CYLOFo2ibFhcJ3/s640/blogger-image-621838835.jpg"></a></div></div>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-28800979243975648792013-08-27T18:58:00.001-07:002013-08-27T18:59:03.782-07:00Big Stuff<div>There have been several changes in our family, and though most are exciting, it has also been bitter sweet. </div><div>Katie moved back to Clearwater in July because of a job opportunity and also for school. After completing a year of full time studies through her colleges online program, she is back as a second semester junior as a classroom student. She lives with my parents and commutes about twenty minutes to school. It was great having her living at home when Jaeynn came home. She was a great help and Jaelynn got to bond with the whole family. I miss her but I'm also excited as I see The Lord work in her life.</div><div>Matthew spent the summer working as a camp counselor at Camp Grace in North Carolina and he just started his fresh,an year at Clearwater Christian College. This is his second week and he seems to be enjoying it. Both Katie and Matt have a Bible professor that they really like. This professor also taught David almost 30 years ago. He has made such an impact on many students.</div><div>My Abby started middle school last week. I don't know how this is possible, it seems like just yesterday we were anticipating her arrival. She is enjoying spreading her wings and becoming more responsible and independent. I'm not sure how I'm feeling about it though. Abby has taken on the role as big sister and is doing a fantastic job. Jaelynn loves playing with Abby and Abby enjoys taking care of Jaelynn.</div><div>One year ago today we received our Letter of Approval from China to adopt Jaelynn. Anyone who has adopted from China knows what a big deal this is. It is China's approval to adopt a specific child and typically from this point things start moving rather quickly. One year later Jaelynn has been part of our family for nine months and we couldn't imagine life without her. She had surgery for a tethered cord three weeks ago (spinal cord surgery) and recovery was a little bit tough, but she is doing much better now and was able to start kindergarten last week and she is loving it. Today was her last day for about six weeks because she will be having surgery for scoliosis tomorrow and on Friday. Typically scoliosis surgery is performed when children are a little older but because of the severity of her case doctors felt it should be taken care of now to protect her heart and lungs and because they were afraid if we waited they may not be able to help her later. So tomorrow they will work from her front side to make some corrections and on Friday from her back. This is quite a big surgery. I was told by a nurse anesthetist yesterday that besides cardiac surgeries this is the biggest surgery they perform at this hospital. She will be in ICU until at least Monday. Please pray for our brave girl and that her recovery will go smoothly.</div><div>Having grown children brings varying emotions. It is bittersweet to think back at how quickly time has gone by but also exciting when you see your young adult children making good decisions and living a life that seeks Christ first. My favorite job I have been entrusted with is being a wife to David and being a mommy to Katie, Matt, Abby, and Jaelynn. Those of you with little ones savor every day with your gifts, you will not regret it and they will not forget it.</div><div><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQQSbRqVUlIOXbkc6_ZVL3o6pNfYH6uYPF0xSDRnuL3uEW65KeFNPHQ5xJQpv0w_wylHSZkGwaxTgAkCiozhowNN0NaIV4JFbbPfWtw4Bk2VkDXjL0kiD1zZyc6FGtjZbv2PE8DKl_d_7/s640/blogger-image--828867686.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQQSbRqVUlIOXbkc6_ZVL3o6pNfYH6uYPF0xSDRnuL3uEW65KeFNPHQ5xJQpv0w_wylHSZkGwaxTgAkCiozhowNN0NaIV4JFbbPfWtw4Bk2VkDXjL0kiD1zZyc6FGtjZbv2PE8DKl_d_7/s640/blogger-image--828867686.jpg"></a></div>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-63753015299425970512013-07-09T19:10:00.001-07:002013-07-09T19:10:32.785-07:00Happy Referral Day!<span style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">It was one year ago today that I received a phone call and then an email that our family had been waiting on for nine months. I had been home from work for about an hour when the phone rang. Caller ID showed it was a call from Colorado. My heart jumped.... Could this actually be the call we had been waiting so long for? It was indeed our adoption agency with the news that they had finally received the file on Dang Yue Lin aka Jaelynn. We were told to check our email and review the information and make a decision as to whether we wanted proceed with the adoption within 48 hours. We responded by the end of the day and sent our Letter of Intent to our agency. </span><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">It's been fun to reminisce on the last year and to reflect on everything that has happened. All the worry over when we would receive our LOA (letter of acceptance) from China, and when other paperwork would make its way to the proper desk, and then waiting on our TA (travel approval) caused us to really rely on God and His timing. I was constantly figuring timeline scenarios in my head. If these papers are dropped off today then that can be picked up on this day and we could have travel approval by this day and we could be in China by this day. I thought I had all the scenarios planned out, but God had the timing all figured out and it was much better than anything I could have planned myself. </div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Jaelynn has been home a little over seven months now and continues to do very well in spite of some physical challenges. She is scheduled for surgery with her neurosurgeon on August 5 for a tethered cord repair and then she is scheduled for scoliosis/ back surgery on Aug 28 and 30. We are thankful that these surgeries are not considered life threatening, however they are very complex and there are risks involved. Please pray for the doctors and the medical team that will be working with Jaelynn. Pray for Jaelynn, she is a trooper, but is very scared. Pray for our family. We know these surgeries are necessary but we are anxious and ready to get them behind us.</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); ">Happy referral day Jaelynn, we are so thankful God chose us to be your family. We love you!</div><div style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); "><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVVORmldWhl7pO_MtzURPJMVJYk1TP9Q39ZCRod1e-k9Z41Guslqpgsh3Cs2PB9ElXNf80yNMuqd09FonlU94_xZgIz8lTBrHsnPLk1ebj68BD81925uVPybPF6Ex38chh5MLsmLM1mEN/s640/blogger-image-1318634016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVVORmldWhl7pO_MtzURPJMVJYk1TP9Q39ZCRod1e-k9Z41Guslqpgsh3Cs2PB9ElXNf80yNMuqd09FonlU94_xZgIz8lTBrHsnPLk1ebj68BD81925uVPybPF6Ex38chh5MLsmLM1mEN/s640/blogger-image-1318634016.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyExUR6Ie34lIcIvsX7pJvxVUA6nYanvr9tcaeg6bIoTi4Thxro3hl3smNo4w8VK5DG72OQK2TE0moNplwiZDCueCRA0KWjGkwnoiIBLOZquUo38U_G_EB-4CficA9oOc9xkMruWhFsYqd/s640/blogger-image-1895684887.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyExUR6Ie34lIcIvsX7pJvxVUA6nYanvr9tcaeg6bIoTi4Thxro3hl3smNo4w8VK5DG72OQK2TE0moNplwiZDCueCRA0KWjGkwnoiIBLOZquUo38U_G_EB-4CficA9oOc9xkMruWhFsYqd/s640/blogger-image-1895684887.jpg"></a></div><br></div>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-32691749219567117192013-06-13T19:07:00.000-07:002013-06-13T19:20:32.600-07:00Family - A Gift<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br>
<div style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); "><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">One </span><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; ">of the hard things with adoption is making sure your other children feel connected and loved even though so much attention is being placed on the new member of the family. This is even difficult with older children. You still want to communicate love and appreciation for all of your children. </span></div>
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Last Thursday was the last day of school so I made a lunch date with Abby, our eleven year old. I left Jaelynn with Katie and Abby picked the restaurant. We ran a few errands and then had a nice lunch together. </div>
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Thursday evening David and I drove Matthew to Orlando to pick his girlfriend from the airport. Her flight was scheduled to arrive <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://2" x-apple-data-detectors-result="2" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">at 7:28</a>, but because of a missed connecting flight and bad weather her flight did not arrive until about mid night. Ordinarily this would seem like an inconvenience, but it was actually some sweet time spent with our son Matthew who is now in North Carolina working at a Christian Camp for the summer and then when he returns he will be leaving for college within a couple of weeks. We talked about his senior year, the camp ministry he will be involved in, his girlfriend, church and his future. We also enjoyed spending time with Matt and his girlfriend on Saturday when we drove them to North Carolina to camp. Thank you Katie for taking care of Jaelynn so that your Dad and I could make the quick trip to NC and back.</div><div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShJmXUIdMxLd0sxh7Phyphenhyphen5aR_vPIq6lNWBi2ycBf3uweJMwoi30GPalrLW53-Aop-f6rOhhysoMr2LcnJLLzE1QVo9rKTakmQ4pbLWC3gWjdYaaLsSnZI7v2oUuWgXaapZzDJtn1Lr-OT1/s640/blogger-image--1681536883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjShJmXUIdMxLd0sxh7Phyphenhyphen5aR_vPIq6lNWBi2ycBf3uweJMwoi30GPalrLW53-Aop-f6rOhhysoMr2LcnJLLzE1QVo9rKTakmQ4pbLWC3gWjdYaaLsSnZI7v2oUuWgXaapZzDJtn1Lr-OT1/s640/blogger-image--1681536883.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsmosNDLAROSIyc81baIhoHq2Vs-5_BJ5QY1d-bKkfOWt8WTvQXyfmtXITBz25rHGNzi5zwUfc2Mo5lI_iGvqYrl68KAzVQrvCLbvVvmyGtYp2TVDJQ1V8E9Lk_CTb_VtPBynY9m9K4TT/s640/blogger-image-1836818501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGsmosNDLAROSIyc81baIhoHq2Vs-5_BJ5QY1d-bKkfOWt8WTvQXyfmtXITBz25rHGNzi5zwUfc2Mo5lI_iGvqYrl68KAzVQrvCLbvVvmyGtYp2TVDJQ1V8E9Lk_CTb_VtPBynY9m9K4TT/s640/blogger-image-1836818501.jpg"></a></div><br></div>
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On Wednesday we took the three girls to Adventure Island Water Park. Abby has been wanting to go there and Jaelynn was excited to go swimming in the lazy river. We had a great day and are hoping to make it back there before the end of the Summer. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ip1SmEPZiIndqhW_MbUdoKixmTHX2gjlTgUB3axQ-BYOteyjBD-dEW09cb01QGiI6cA7Th1J6RtYJ6owMjo4Hm3yT6HRoA4_YRzh4eZ-1US0LSvi2txvhlJo_2Ty6p2zScnHubHGXkYn/s640/blogger-image--285713974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ip1SmEPZiIndqhW_MbUdoKixmTHX2gjlTgUB3axQ-BYOteyjBD-dEW09cb01QGiI6cA7Th1J6RtYJ6owMjo4Hm3yT6HRoA4_YRzh4eZ-1US0LSvi2txvhlJo_2Ty6p2zScnHubHGXkYn/s640/blogger-image--285713974.jpg"></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ip1SmEPZiIndqhW_MbUdoKixmTHX2gjlTgUB3axQ-BYOteyjBD-dEW09cb01QGiI6cA7Th1J6RtYJ6owMjo4Hm3yT6HRoA4_YRzh4eZ-1US0LSvi2txvhlJo_2Ty6p2zScnHubHGXkYn/s640/blogger-image--285713974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXtC_TAUebfw5w3omQYNWdpHXidVWSamJpXgGqfNzDa8zr_8hj5jd-jY2qwHI_rRnf9Dhyphenhyphenrtl-6ucpKd7xorMA0mwo7jStq4UKRFyxqGYunfp7M8dEZqF2itE0UyZXtPjyxQRjf7M1KmN/s640/blogger-image--1676363778.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEXtC_TAUebfw5w3omQYNWdpHXidVWSamJpXgGqfNzDa8zr_8hj5jd-jY2qwHI_rRnf9Dhyphenhyphenrtl-6ucpKd7xorMA0mwo7jStq4UKRFyxqGYunfp7M8dEZqF2itE0UyZXtPjyxQRjf7M1KmN/s640/blogger-image--1676363778.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQNhiYUZEZB9eIWM6lqbkJpAMD40nzECrTN23EhMijgoJvq4l0YffwURXFGZWf-jkzPN8ZciQnuc1D08BbK2hmZR3vHHWPRtZJwlXWEwj-8eTsCnyEn5hx6yDhHaDjGjpeYxL7lCAj2lf/s640/blogger-image--1716509325.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJQNhiYUZEZB9eIWM6lqbkJpAMD40nzECrTN23EhMijgoJvq4l0YffwURXFGZWf-jkzPN8ZciQnuc1D08BbK2hmZR3vHHWPRtZJwlXWEwj-8eTsCnyEn5hx6yDhHaDjGjpeYxL7lCAj2lf/s640/blogger-image--1716509325.jpg"></a></div></div></div><div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><br></div>
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Today was an exhausting day. Jaelynn had an appointment with a spine/ scoliosis doctor. Her appointment was <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://3" x-apple-data-detectors-result="3" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">at 8:40</a> and we were there until after <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://4" x-apple-data-detectors-result="4" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors="true">2 PM</a>, but I think we got a lot of answers. She had several x rays and a Cat Scan. This doctor is now going to talk to her neurosurgeon and I hope to hear from him next week so that we can put together a plan for treating her issues. Her case is very complicated (what every parent loves to hear), but we felt confident with this doctor and will continue to trust The Lord to go before us every step of the way. As we left today the doctor thanked us for the challenge. </div>
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At one point today as the doctor was examining Jaelynn and looking at her test results, he was just baffled by what he saw. I felt a sense of panic and then I read some lyrics to a song that Chris Tomlin sings and that a little friend of ours has been singing the last couple of days:</div>
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I know Who goes before me</div>
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I know Who stands behind</div>
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The God of angel armies</div>
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Is always by my side</div>
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The One who reigns forever</div>
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He is a Friend of mine</div>
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The God of angel armies</div>
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Is always by my side</div>
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So thankful for the one who goes ahead of us every step of this journey.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLmkMU6SIUd1mfVrw3KIhYdsMtep3EUjyz9L8aoaxL-sRSgoY7gNhzKeFB4dyskQRBuPSALQBwULLzVZAsHv7YWMx8LTCcqWK7S7C5xdDI_zegPvunKeLr__fRJ0XizwKnU3aZwMi1ty0/s640/blogger-image--1925797358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGLmkMU6SIUd1mfVrw3KIhYdsMtep3EUjyz9L8aoaxL-sRSgoY7gNhzKeFB4dyskQRBuPSALQBwULLzVZAsHv7YWMx8LTCcqWK7S7C5xdDI_zegPvunKeLr__fRJ0XizwKnU3aZwMi1ty0/s640/blogger-image--1925797358.jpg"></a></div></div>
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On difficult days when Jaelynn is not being the sweet little girl that you see in all of the pictures, I have to remind myself of all that God has done and is doing through this little girl. The thought of her not being in our family or not having a family at all immediately eliminates any frustrations I might feel. As God continues to write Jelynn's story I feel privileged and humbled to be part of it. </div>
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Thank you to all of you who have prayed for Jaelynn and or the rest of our family. We appreciate everyone of you! We will keep you all posted on what the next steps will be.</div>
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teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-44499545714319840502013-06-01T20:25:00.001-07:002013-06-01T20:25:54.054-07:00Exciting Times!<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">Today has been a significant day in the life of our family. First of all our son, Matt, graduated from High School with highest honors, summa cum laude. He was chosen to be the commencement speaker and did an awesome job! After graduation we celebrated with an open house/ party. We are so proud of the young man Matt has become and are excited to see how God uses him in the future. He will be home for another week and then he will head to North Carolina where he will work once again at Camp Grace as a counselor. He will get home the first part of August and then soon after start his new adventure at Clearwater Christian College. We will be saying goodbye to both Katie and Matt as Katie will be heading back to Clearwater Christian also. </span><br />
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Katie completed this year of college at home through taking a full time load of classes via the Internet and driving to Clearwater a few times every semester for classes. At this point she is still on track to graduate a semester early in December 2014. </div>
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Abby will complete fifth grade this week and it will be off to junior high for her. I can't believe she is old enough already! </div>
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Another significant milestone in our family is that Jaelynn has been home exactly six months today. It seems like yesterday we were waiting for her file from China. She continues to be a perfect fit as an Altman and she is looking forward to starting kindergarten in the fall. We see a spine specialist as well as her neurosurgeon this month and will decide when she should have surgery on her spine. Not many details on this yet, but would appreciate prayers as we make decisions. </div>
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Now to back track a week... Last week we were given the opportunity to go to Nashville for the 10th anniversary of Show Hope. Show Hope is the organization that provided life saving care for Jaelynn while she was still in China and they also provided our family with a grant to help with the cost of our adoption. We had such a sweet time, reuniting children that were once orphans. It was so neat to see children that once played together in an orphanage in China playing together in America with their families looking on. A former pre school teacher and doctors who cared for the children in China were there also. It was also a great time meeting friends that I have only talked to on the phone, Facebook, and email. A weekend filled with some precious memories.</div>
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We are still amazed as we look back over the last two years and see how God has worked in the life of our family. Thank you to all of you who have played a part in our journey. A year ago it did not seem like we would ever be at this point. God is Good, and God is Faithful!</div>
teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-27552319658146842472013-04-02T14:20:00.000-07:002013-04-02T14:20:39.302-07:00An Altman UpdateIt is hard to believe that 4months have gone by since we arrived home from China with our daughter, Jaelynn. It's is hard to believe that she hasn't always been here. She seems to blend in so well with all of the family. <br />
Last month Jaelynn had surgery on her feet. One of the purposes of the surgery was to correct her feet so that she will be able to wear shoes, something she has never been able to do. We are so excited to go shoe shopping! Another purpose for the surgery was to possibly get her up on her feet. Since she has no feeling in her right leg it means getting her up on her left leg. We are not sure yet if this will happen, but we are taking things one step at a time and praying. Though she will never be able to walk like you or I, we have been encouraged to hear the doctors talk about the possibility of her using some type of walker and leg braces to walk with. We will know more about whether or not this will happen as time goes on and as she continues to recover from surgery. Please pray for her as she will be getting both casts removed in two weeks.<br />
Jaelynn continues to LOVE Sunday School and is learning stories and songs and making friends. She loves to have her nails polished and wear dresses, especially pink ones. She likes to eat cheese grits, pizza, spaghetti, and ramon noodles and enjoys drawing and writing her letters as well as play with dolls and barbies. She likes Disney Junior, all the Disney princesses and Taylor Swift's Red CD. She is looking forward to starting kindergarten in the fall, we even visited her school to show her around. I really like kindergarten in our city. It is a separate school from the elementary schools, so she will be with all small children her first year of school. <br />
Show Hope will be celebrating their 10th Anniversary in May with a big picnic and concert in Nashville. We really wanted to go and meet the many people who have been such an encouragement to us throughout our adoption, but had decided that financially it was not feasible for our family to make the trip. However, God miraculously provided and we will be going to celebrate. We are so excited about meeting so many adoption friends and for Jaelynn to get to see her best friend from Maria's Big House of Hope. It will be so sweet to see those two together again. There will also be others there that she spent time with in China. A special thank you to those of you who helped put this trip together for our family, you have no idea how much it means! Thank you for being such a blessing in our lives.<br />
It's hard to believe we are entering the final weeks of the 2012/2013 school year and that our son Matthew will be graduating from high school. Such mixed emotions as he prepares for the future. Matt will once again be working at Camp Grace in North Carolina this summer as a media specialist and counselor. He has been accepted at Clearwater Christian college for the fall semester. He is still praying about what the Lord wants him to major in. We are so proud of him and his desire to serve God and others and for the hard work he has put into his school work. He will be graduating at the top of his class (number 32 out of approximately 340 students).<br />
Abby is finishing up her fifth grade year and will begin middle school next year and I don't want to talk about it!She is growing up way to fast but she is still a little girl. She is enjoying the role as big sister to Jaelynn and she is finishing her final year in Awana at church and is working toward her Timothy award. <br />
Katie is finishing her sophmore year at Clearwater Christian College. She did her sophmore year on then internet at home so that she could be home for Jaelynn's homecoming, but she will be back in Clearwater in the fall. If her schedule works out the way she is planning she may be finished with her senior year in about a year and a half. <br />
We would appreciate prayers in the coming months as Jaelynn continues to have medical tests and treatments. <br />
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teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-58561288335426882302013-03-01T10:37:00.000-08:002013-03-02T04:23:48.909-08:00Three Months Home!We have been home with Jaelynn now for three months. It's hard to believe that all of the months of anticipation are finally over and we are trying to settle into a routine as a family of six. Jaelynn is doing marvelous and continues to amaze us. She is funny, smart, stubborn, sensitive and so much more.<br />
<div>We took Jaelynn to The Magic Kingdom as a late Christmas gift and she loved it. She is in love with the Disney princesses and is collecting as many of the dolls as she can. She knows just the people to ask to buy these things for her too. She has decided that her daddy and I can buy her Belle and her nanny and papa will buy her Cinderella and Tiana. </div><div>She loves to go with her siblings to the park and see the turtles in the pond and to swing. She has started to stay in Sunday School without me and is loving it and I am actually enjoying it too. She is learning and enjoying singing with the other children songs about God and how He loves her.</div><div><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">A couple of weeks ago we were able to attend the "Empowered to Connect" conference with Dr Karyn Purvis. So much valuable information and a great time with other adoptive parents. We were also able to meet several of the staff from Show Hope. So many of these people had prayed specifically for our little girl. </span><br />
<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">We are in the midst of seeing several specialist and scheduling surgeries to help Jaelynn with some of her challenges. She is scheduled for surgery next week on both feet, ankles, and one hamstring. This surgery should make it possible for her to wear shoes (probably with braces). She has requested a pair of light up shoes! She will be in casts for several weeks, which should be interesting. Following this surgery we will meet again with a neurologist and a spine doctor and will likely have some surgeries in the future for other issues. </div><div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">Having three children prior to Jaelynn who are totally healthy has made this process of evaluations and hearing what the doctors say harder than I imagined. It has been a whole new level of stress that I knew would come, but on many days it leaves me feeling inadequate and relying more and more on The Lord for strength. Please pray for our family as we tread these new waters and that we would be able to provide Jaelynn with everything she needs. </div><div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0976563); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">We are as certain as ever that God chose Jaelynn to be our daughter and are honored to fill that role. As most know doing what God calls us to do is not always easy. Though the last couple of months have been full of joy, excitement, and love there have also been many times of worry, anxiety, and fear over everything from Jaelynn's health needs, to wondering if we are parenting our adopted daughter "the right way", to finances, BUT God is good and continues to be faithful in everything. Thank you to everyone who has and continues to encourage and pray for us along the way. God used the prayers of people like you to bring this incredible little girl to her forever family! </div></div><div><br />
</div>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-74438289847527948762012-12-19T14:50:00.000-08:002012-12-19T14:50:09.886-08:00Month One of Forever.... part 2So I thought I would share some fun facts about our sassy little girl, Jaelynn.<br />
1) she speaks very good English<br />
2) she likes her hair long and does not want to get her hair cut. (We like it long too)<br />
3) she is a good and neat eater<br />
4) her favorite movie is Snow White<br />
5) she loves chocolate. I don't mean that she likes it, she goes nuts for it!<br />
6) she sleeps in her bed in the room with her sisters<br />
7) she picks up words from us all the time. I made the mistake of calling her a knucklehead, now she calls everyone a knucklehead! If you happen to see her and she calls you this, please don't take offense. She says this to everyone.<br />
8) she likes to be told she is beautiful. She likes the word beautiful better than pretty. She smiles big when we tell her she is beautiful.<br />
9) she is stubborn<br />
10) she has perfected the "stink eye"<br />
11) she has a sense of humor<br />
12) she is super smart<br />
13) she likes Spnge Bob Square Pants<br />
14) she likes to be in charge of the remote comtrol<br />
15) she is not afraid of our dogs<br />
16) she loves to tell us stories. Sometimes the stories are in Chinese, and about her time MBHOH<br />
17) she has a very good memory<br />
She is loved immensely by her family!<br />
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<br />teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-36209530978252236872012-12-18T19:06:00.001-08:002012-12-18T19:10:17.099-08:00Month One of ForeverAfter carrying Jaelynn around in our hearts for 14 months she was placed in our arms one month ago today. I can't believe how quickly the time has passed! Jaelynn has brought much joy and laughter to our family. She is adjusting well to her family and has taught us more than we have taught her. <br />
I believe her adjustment with our family has gone so well because of the wonderful care she received at Maria's Big House of Hope. From the Ayi's (Nanny's), to the medical staff, to the pre school teachers, and many others that love the children there, it is very obvious that Jaelynn was loved and cared for well. This was evidenced in our conversations with Jaelynn when she told us stories about Ayi's, sang songs and shared what she learned in pre school, and by how she cares for others.<br />
We have been sure to talk to Jaelynn about her life at MBHOH and to ask questions, so that she knows we care and are interested in her life there. She has told us stories about her Ayi's and has corrected us when we don't do something the way her Ayi's did, because after all that is the right way! It is easy to tell that she was loved and that she loved her caretakers. I am so thankful we were able to meet some of these Ayi's when we visited MBHOH. Visiting there is one of the most precious memories I have of our trip.<br />
Jaelynn's medical care at MBHOH was nothing short of wonderful. She speaks often about the nurses that took care of her. She has told us about Mariah (a nurse at MBHOH) and how she was the one to tell Jaelynn about her forever family and give her the first package we sent her. David and I sang "Jesus Loves Me" to Jaelynn in the evenings before bed and she told us that Mariah had also sung that song to her. Thank you Mariah for not only caring for our little girl until we could come get her, but also for loving her and singing truths to her. It is quite apparent that she loves you too. When we visited MBHOH with Jaelynn we were able to meet Dr Martin and his family. Dr Martin is the doctor on staff at Maria's. He has been there for about a year and a half. I so appreciate him and his wife for their kindness to us when we visited. It is easy to tell that your whole family cares deeply for the children. We also met Jona, another sweet nurse who took care of Jaelynn and that Jaelynn speaks of frequently. We'd also like to thank whoever made the decision to let Jaelynn keep her wheelchair. It not only made it easier to get around, but it also helped Jaelynn to have something that was hers when she came to us.<br />
We have had fun sorting through Jaelynn's pre school papers and I don't think she could have had a better pre school teacher than Rebecca McCoy. I continue to be amazed at the things Jaelynn learned in her pre school class. Her English is phenomenal and she knows all of her shapes, colors, letters, numbers and alphabet. She even knows how to sign the alphabet! But more than the things that Rebecca taught in class, I am thankful for the love she showed our little girl. Our family will be forever grateful for all you did for Jaelynn.<br />
Other people I'd like to thank are Mikey... Jaelynn can not speak of you without smiling. <br />
Abby Akridge, I know I have told you this already, but God used you and a blog you wrote to stir our hearts to adopt Jaelynn. You will always have a special place in this Mama's heart. <br />
Katie McGunnigaI (Mai Ya Xin), thank you for being a good friend to our girl, she loves you! <br />
Steven Curtis and Mary Beth Chapman.... Thank you seems inadequate, but Thank You!<br />
I know there are many more people and if I have left you out, I am sorry. There are so many people who have made an impact on our little girl and that warms my heart and I haven't even touched on the people who were a blessing to me throughout our adoption process. That will have to be another blog. We are very blessed!<br />
Pray for Jaelynn, she has an appointment at Shriner's on January 16 for an evaluation. I'm praying big prayers, because we serve a Big God!<br />
<br />
psalm 68:6 "God makes a home for the lonely"<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjppNYOB2VRLgc9i7ki-pmEqYVnql5cBK9XPTPplgxQFAhBTfJRpOYmTRyoxYe-OybqmiNVSqczuDpjeqe3T5yhPZ3jZ6QfBlKT6Ewro10hp1mAwxr4xqIye5xH3rQrZdd-XUL2c4J9I4/s640/blogger-image-1024482912.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmjppNYOB2VRLgc9i7ki-pmEqYVnql5cBK9XPTPplgxQFAhBTfJRpOYmTRyoxYe-OybqmiNVSqczuDpjeqe3T5yhPZ3jZ6QfBlKT6Ewro10hp1mAwxr4xqIye5xH3rQrZdd-XUL2c4J9I4/s640/blogger-image-1024482912.jpg" /></a></div>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-4367447904692939032012-11-23T03:08:00.001-08:002012-11-23T03:08:08.721-08:00Thanksgiving in ChinaThanksgiving in China!<br />
We have had our daughter, Jaelynn, for 4 days now. The best word I can use to describe her is joyful. We have heard so many giggles in the last few days and we are loving it.<br />
On Monday morning the twelve families in our group loaded up on a bus and headed for the Registration Office. Our children were coming from about six different cities in the Henan province. When we arrived a couple of children were already there waiting. The children from Jaelynn's city had not arrived yet so I went around the room taking pictures of other families receiving their children. Some children showed no emotion, some screamed, and some seemed happy and content. This was the most intense yet beautiful thing I have ever experienced. It was such a mix of emotions. Most of these children were between 20 months and 28 months and didn't understand anything that was going on. On one hand I felt so badly for them because they were so frightened, on the other hand I was so happy that these precious little ones had a mama and a baba now. One of my favorite "Gotcha Moments" was a little girl, around 2 years old. Her father came to China alone to get her and she just cried and cried for a good thirty minutes. Her daddy took her outside and comforted her. When he came back in she had settled down nicely and was even smiling and she has not quit smiling since. I think she has her daddy wrapped around her finger... If you saw her I am sure you would say, "how could she not?" About forty five minutes after we arrived at the Registration Office we were only waiting on the children from Luoyang and then a van pulled up. My heart jumped and then I saw her, my daughter! I stood by the door and when she saw us she recognized us from our pictures. It was a moment that one cannot adequately describe and also a moment that is meant just for a little girl and her mama and baba.<br />
Monday we spent most of the afternoon in our hotel room getting to know each other. A huge blessing is that Jaelynn understands us very well and she speaks English very well. She has had fun trying to teach us some Chinese. She is incredibly smart. I have asked her who taught you that several times, and almost without fail she responds "Rebekah". Rebekah is the pre school teacher at Maria's Big House of Hope and has done an amazing job teaching and loving these children. I will forever be grateful for what you have done! In the evening we walked about a mile to Wal Mart with several other families in our group. Wal Mart in China is certainly different than the Wal Mart we know.<br />
Tuesday we had to travel to the city where Jaelynn is from to apply for her passport and we also were able to visit Maria's Big House of Hope. This was a highlight of our time here in China. I have always wanted to visit here and especially since Jaelynn spent over three years of her life there. I walked in this building and it took my breath away. This special care facility cares for some of the sickest babies and children. We met the nannies that have been taking care of Jaelynn and Jaelynn was able to show us her friends. It was so touching when one little girl who could only lay on a pallet on the floor smiled really big when Jaelynn got close to her face. We met Dr Martin and his family and they were so very kind to us as they showed us around the facility. David and I felt that this visit helped give Jaelynn some closure. <br />
Wednesday we walked to Wal Mart again with some families and then we had lunch at Pizza Hut. Jaelynn loves pizza.<br />
On Thanksgiving day David, Jaelynn, and I walked through a large park near our hotel, ate lunch at McDonald's, and had dinner with some of the families in our group. Not a traditional thanksgiving meal, but we enjoyed it just the same.<br />
Today we are all waiting on our children's passports to be delivered and tomorrow we fly to another city (Ghuangzhou) where Jaelynn will have a visa physical examination and her picture taken. We are looking forward to arriving at the next city.<br />
It has been such wonderful experience to watch God knit the hearts of these little ones together with their families. It has been fun getting to know people who have been on similar journeys to bring their children home and to know that when we left the Registration Office on Monday there were twelve less orphans in the world. So happy and grateful that our family could be a part of welcoming one into our family. We have truly seen a picture of the Gospel this week as so many children were given the gift of a family and as they learn every day what it is like to be part of a family.<br />
Thank you for your support and prayers. Please continue to,pray for Jaelynn as she adjusts to her new family. You all are going to love this girl!<br />
<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzXi7VI4rIziUkq4TEMk3y6PCf1q3oiYOuqPDRLlOxleQ3cyv30BYsnX2ldrMgmTsmro7btutfC1Gtus7Ug0xsoARluEwc4Oz_6JyeAjvDVmaNMmmuXYdpsZFGmS-GW7Z46do0_xdbxaS/s640/blogger-image-1993363343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSzXi7VI4rIziUkq4TEMk3y6PCf1q3oiYOuqPDRLlOxleQ3cyv30BYsnX2ldrMgmTsmro7btutfC1Gtus7Ug0xsoARluEwc4Oz_6JyeAjvDVmaNMmmuXYdpsZFGmS-GW7Z46do0_xdbxaS/s640/blogger-image-1993363343.jpg" /></a></div>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-12013115685947457752012-11-18T12:19:00.001-08:002012-11-18T12:19:51.393-08:00We're Counting Down The Hours!We arrived in Beijing on Thursday evening Beijing time (Thursday morning Florida time). We took a bus ride to the hotel and got some much needed rest. Our guides, George and Michael kept us busy on Friday and Saturday. We left the hotel early in the morning and didn't get back until early evening both days. We visited The Forbidden City, Tienanmen Square, the Great Wall, the Olympic Park Village, and the Hutang Diatrict of Beijing (very old area of Beijing). We left Beijing early Sunday morning for our second city, the city we've all been waiting for and the reason we are here, Zhengzhou. This is the city where we meet our new daughter. In six hours we will load up on a bus and head to the registration office and twelve families will meet their children and there will be twelve less orphans in the world. In the group we are with most of the children being adopted are between 20 months and a little over 2 years old. I am sure there will be a lot of crying as these new babies meet their families. At this age they have no idea what is going on and are likely to be very scared. Please pray for these sweet babies that God would knit their hearts together with their new parents and that everyone's anxiety would be calmed. <br />
<br />
When we arrived in Zhengzhou one of our guides pulled her cell phone out and showed me a picture she had taken just last week. I was so happy, it was a picture of Jaelynn! She saw her and spoke to her just last week. She told me that Jaelynn is very excited that she will be meeting her mama and baba soon. Pray for us as we meet Jaelynn in just about 6 hours. Pray that we will be able to comfort her and that she will know that she is loved so very much. It is so hard to believe that after 14 months (for most of those months not knowing when we might meet her) of waiting she will be in our arms so soon now. I still have a hard time believing that God is allowing David and I to be the mama and baba of a little girl that we prayed for. Our prayer for Jaelynn was that someone would adopt her and that she would know the love of a forever family. I know I have used this verse several times, but it is just so appropriate, "God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams!" Ephesians 3:20<br />
Well, it is about 4 AM and I guess I will try to get a little rest before we are off to meet Jaelynn. Check back later tonight for pictures of a beautiful little Asain girl and her ecstatic and emotional parents. Praying the Internet continues to work well for us because it is very unpredictable. Signing out as the mother of three and next time I blog I will be the mother of four. <div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSc183AWwQqYWf7szEOr20fp_Gn4RaDBB51l8Mw4Rrrrb7tk5V1lmJew7qDWlEZ0Gw_dgOXKf4X_mP9aEZkKT_cUgyABhgrBJYHW_3XBALdyJNnQBmZ_gLnqG6a4CC-ZYdz5FgoAN4cg3x/s640/blogger-image--2065550457.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSc183AWwQqYWf7szEOr20fp_Gn4RaDBB51l8Mw4Rrrrb7tk5V1lmJew7qDWlEZ0Gw_dgOXKf4X_mP9aEZkKT_cUgyABhgrBJYHW_3XBALdyJNnQBmZ_gLnqG6a4CC-ZYdz5FgoAN4cg3x/s640/blogger-image--2065550457.jpg" /></a></div>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-3387311797125899302012-11-12T18:01:00.001-08:002012-11-12T18:05:18.339-08:00T - 34 hoursIt has been hard to concentrate on anything today, but I did manager to tie up some loose ends before Wednesday when David and I leave the US for China. Did I really just say that? Yes, we are leaving. Over the last fourteen months I have read blogs, prayed for and followed other families as they made the journey to China and I have followed them since they made it home. I've looked at the pictures of those families and dreamed of the day that it would be our turn. Well next Monday, China time (late Sunday night US eastern time), we will be taking pictures with our new daughter. <br />
As I have prepared for this trip, one thing that I was not expecting is how I am feeling about leaving my other children behind. I guess I had not allowed myself to spend much time thinking about that part. They will be well taken care of, I know. Katie, Matt, and Abby will spend Thanksgiving the same way they do every year, at my sisters house with grandparents, aunts, uncles, and friends. I am so thankful for my family who has been consistently supportive to us on this journey. Thank you all for loving our children and watching out for them while we are away. When my family found out we would be gone for Thanksgiving they were a little upset, they wanted to know who would pray before they ate dinner, that has always been David's job (they weren't really upset). One of the benefits of being the preacher in the family. I'll see if I can wake David up in the middle of the night, maybe he could still pray if we used facetime. <br />
If I remember correctly this will be the first Thanksgiving I have ever spent away from family, but it is also the first time I've gone to China to get a new daughter. I am very happy that I will be spending Thanksgiving with Jaelynn. We definitely have so much to be thankful for.<br />
Please pray for us while we are away and pray for Jaelynn's little heart, that we would be able to help her as she grieves over the only life she has ever known. God has chosen us to be her parents and my desire is to do that job well. I am so very thankful for the people who have taken care of her over the last several years. It is obvious that she has been loved well. <br />
We will post pictures on our blog and Facebook as the Internet allows. I am looking forward to sharing "gotcha day" pictures with everyone.<br />
See you all in China!<br />
"God sets the lonely in families" Psalm 68:6teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-39664836114211148302012-11-03T18:18:00.001-07:002012-11-03T18:27:53.606-07:00We're Going To China!I have been wanting to blog, but I have had so many thoughts going on I felt too scattered. This blog post may be scattered a bit too, filling you in on recent happenings for our family.<br />
On October 20th my daughter had a shower for me and Jaelynn. She had everything decorated so pretty. We received practical gifts like a car seat and a stroller and we also received fun gifts like hair bows, toys, and gift cards. It is fun to imagine Jaelynn sitting in the car seat and playing with those toys.<br />
One word I would use to describe the adoption process is waiting or anticipating. You wait to be matched with your child, you wait for a letter of acceptance (at least for a Chinese adoption), you wait for immigration approval, and on and on the waiting goes. We have finally reached the milestone where yes we are waiting to meet our daughter, but the guessing games of when it might happen are over. David and I will leave on Wednesday, November 14 for China. We will be in Beijing for a couple of days and do a little sight seeing then on the 19th we will head to Guangzhou and meet Jaelynn. I feel like I need to keep pinching myself to be sure it is all real. This is an adventure I never dreamed I would ever be on, but it has been so amazing as we have watched God move mountains and provide for our adoption. <br />
Around ten months ago my parents began planning a cruise and they a asked if our youngest daughter, Abby, could go with them. It was planned for this week. My husband and I agreed and made arrangements for her to be out of school for the week. She left today and will be back next Sunday. When she gets home David and I will be home for just two days before we take off and then I will not see her until December 1st when we return from China with her little sister. Almost an entire month I will be away from her and this thought has me a little sad, I am thankful she has this chance to spend time with her nanny and papa because there will be some big changes in her life in about a month. She is a sweet girl and I know she is going to be a wonderful big sister.<br />
When I was in high school I used to frustrate my guidance counselor. She would ask me this question, "Where do you see yourself ten years from now?" Without question I always responded married with a couple children, and being a stay at home mom. She would always try to get me to choose a career, because to her being a stay at home mom was not an acceptable choice. Happily, ten years after graduating High School, I was right where I wanted to be. I was happily married and I had 2 beautiful children. A few years later God blessed us with another child. Four years ago when our youngest daughter was in first grade we needed some extra income and God provided a job for me. This was the first time I worked outside the home since my oldest daughter was born. It was and has been a very tough adjustment for me. I am thankful for God's provision of a job when we needed it, but my goal was to one day quit my job so that I could be at home again. Last Monday I gave my employer my two week notice so that I can once again live my dream. It is a little bit scary, but God has is faithful and I am thankful for scripture like Psalm 37:4 which says, <br />
"Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. "<br />
So now you've had a glimpse into a few of the many thoughts rambling around in my head. I told you this post would be scattered - kind of all over the place. I'll try to post another short blog before we leave and then some updates while we are away. Thank you for your prayers!<br />
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teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-62310274524447376742012-09-22T17:56:00.000-07:002012-09-23T13:28:42.799-07:00One YearOne year ago today David picked me up from work and we were headed to a banquet, but before we got there he asked me, "are you ready to make a phone call?" Confused a bit I asked, "what phone call?" His response was, "to see if we qualify to adopt." My heart just about stopped. You see I had been looking at one particular picture all summer. The picture was on the dashboard in my car, and I usually ended up crying every day on my way to work looking at a precious little girl that needed a family. David never saw this and didn't know what was going on in my heart... yet. On September 21st after reading a blog that in our home we refer to as "The Banana Blog" I began to sob thinking about the little girl without a family. David asked me what was wrong and I handed him the computer and let him read the blog. The average person reading this blog would have enjoyed it but the emotions that it evoked in us that evening was God whispering something I wanted to hear for several months. It was God confirming to us that we needed to take steps toward adopting this little girl. So tomorrow will be one year ago we made our first phone calls about adoptiyng our daughter from Chin@. We had no idea who to call, so we called Show Hope and most of the staff was out of the office attending a conference, but there was one person in the office and she took our call. Cathy was that one person, and I know God designed that because in the months since that phone call she has become a very dear friend. That day Cathy told us that she couldn't help us with adoption information, but she was so encouraging and gave us the phone number of CCAI (Chinese Children Adoption International). We hung up the phone and called CCAI and spoke with Judy Winger, who was also very helpful and provided us with information we needed to begin our journey. I don't think that one can fully understand what is involved in adopting a child and especially adopting internationally until they have or are experiencing it. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I also knew it would be worth it. If you are just beginning this journey, remember it is all worth it.<br />
This past year has brought many new friendships into our lives. People who share the same heart for orphans and adoption as we do. It has also strengthened some friendships as they have been so supportive, even helping our family with fundraising through a yard sale, buying t shirts, and hosting a spaghetti dinner. I am so thankful for those friends because there have also been times when I have felt very lonely, feeling like no one really "gets it" and at times even feeling judged (nothing specific, just that feeling you get sometimes). Through God's Word and verses like James 1:27, we are confident that we were/ are doing exactly what god has called our family to do.<br />
There were times over the last year when I wondered if we would ever receive our referral to adopt Jaelynn and it took much longer to receive than we imagined, but God is good and his timing is perfect. The tunnel was very dark with no light in sight for so long but I am so happy today to say the we see that light at the end of this tunnel. In just about 2 months David and I should be boarding a plane to Chin@. Just like when I was pregnant with my three children bio children, I dream about our new daughter. I dream about the first time I see her... I just love those dreams.<br />
I was putting a timeline together of the adoption highlights of this past year and thought I'd share it (see below). On Tuesday paperwork should be dropped off at the US embassy in Chin@ that all has to do with Jaelynn's visa and immigration. This is the last step before travel approval is issued. It normally takes 2 weeks to get this approval, but because of some holidays in Chin@, it may take three weeks. After the approval (called Article V) is issued it can be anywhere between 2 and 4 weeks for travel approval. Then after travel approval is issued it could be anywhere between 1-4 weeks for travel.<br />
Please pray for our family over the next several weeks as David and I prepare to travel. We will be having a yard sale on Saturday, September 29th in Pinellas County to help with the remainder of the adoption expenses. If you would like to donate to help bring Jaelynn home you can click on the paypal link on the side of this page.<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">Timeline:</span></span><br />
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9/22/11- after many prayers and tears David and I made the decision to pursue the adoption of Jaelynn </div>
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9/23/11 -called CCAI to see if Jaelynn was "paper ready" for adoption. She was not, but we were told that she should be by February 2012</div>
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9/30/12<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"> - Approved by CCAI to begin the adoption process</span></div>
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12/2/11 & 12/3/11 - yard sale fundraiser (thank you Walt & Bobbie for letting us use your home and for all of your help!)</div>
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1/20/12 and 1/21/12 - home study visits</div>
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4/30/12 - 1 797 notice of approval</div>
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5/21/2012 - received letter from Show Hope in the mail informing us that we had were being awarded a Show Hope grant. This letter was received the on the 4 th anniversary of Maria Sue Chapman going to be with Jesus.</div>
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6/08/12 - DTC (dossier to China)</div>
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6/21/12 - LID (dossier was logged into the system I China)</div>
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6/28/12 - Spaghetti dinner fundraiser (thank you Tom & Gina for all of your hard work and generosity)</div>
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7/9/12 - finally after 9 1/2 months received Jaelynn's file</div>
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7/9/12 - LOI (sent our letter of intent to adopt Jaelynn)</div>
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7/20/12 - received PA (pre approval) </div>
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8/27/12- LOA</div>
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8/31/12 - I 800 arrived at lockbox </div>
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9/14/12 - I 800 approved</div>
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9/17/12- Received approval in the mail</div>
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9/20/12 - NVC received I 800</div>
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9/21/12 - NVC letter received via email (PDF format) </div>
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9/25/12(?) - Paperwork dropped off at US Embassy</div>
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- Article V picked up</div>
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- Travel Approval Issued</div>
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- Gotcha Day!!</div>
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Thank you all for following our journey. Just think the real journey is just beginning!</div>
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teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-67697515312895598152012-09-01T11:05:00.000-07:002012-09-01T11:05:01.417-07:00Our God Is Greater<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">This was an exciting week in our home as we received our LOA (letter of acceptance) to bring our little girl home. The next few steps in the adoption process have much shorter timelines than the pervious ones and this means we may be leaving the end of November to fly to the other side of the world and meet our very loved daughter. This is such an emotional time and Jaelynn is in our thoughts constantly. Right now we are on our way to go shopping and we are listening to a Children of the World CD. Their CD's always made me cry before, now I am just a total mess listening to children from around the world singing songs about our Lord. I love hearing "I Am A Promise" , with their precious accents. <div>
This is also an emotional time when I think about our family, friends, and even complete strangers who have given sacrificially to bring Jaelynn home. You all are a living example of the Gospel by helping bring this orphan into a family. I have been humbled by the kindness of so many. I quote Mary Beth Chapman by saying that, "not everyone is called to adopt, but we are all called to do something". Although "thank you" seems inadequate, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you would like more information on what you can do to help us in the final steps of our adoption, please see the previous blog entry dated August 27, and titled "Bringing Jaelynn Home".</div>
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Please keep our family in your prayers as we prepare to travel and the as we all adjust to our new life. Pray for Katie, Matt, and Abby while David and I are away. Pray for Jaelynn. She is very loved in the orphanage she is in and will miss her friends and caretakers. Although having a family is better than growing up in an orphanage, she will likely grieve the loss of her past in the months ahead. Pray for us as we do all we can to help her transition to life with a family. We are looking forward to reuniting Jaelynn with some of her friends one day from MBHOH, especially one of her best buddies Isaac. Isaace was adopted last December. I am thankful for Isaac and for his family, they have been such a blessing and encouragement to us. Pray for us as we have some other decisions to make in the future. Pray that the Lord would go before us and work out details. He is much better at working out these details than I am.</div>
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Keep your ears open for the squeals of excitement when we receive our travel approval.</div>
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"Our God is greater, Our God is stronger, God you are higher than any other"</span>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-27356358293045179572012-08-28T16:53:00.000-07:002012-08-28T16:53:01.167-07:00Bringing Jaelynn Home Yesterday we received our LOA (Letter of Acceptance) from Chin@ to adopt our girl. We are still in shock as we were told to expect to be waiting between 90 and 120 days. Yesterday was day 46 from our Letter of Intent and day 38 from our pre-approval. God is so good in giving us this miracle. This now means that we should expect to travel in the next 10-15 weeks.<br />
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We are beyond thrilled that in just a short amount of time Jaelynn will be in our arms <i>forever.</i> As exciting as this is we still have one giant obstacle in front of us and that is funds. We have been humbled and blessed as we have raised such a large amount starting at zero. We are so thankful for friends and family who have helped us fundraise through yard sales, t-shirts, buying coffee, and our spaghetti dinner. We have come such a long way but with this new exciting news we still need $4,000 fast. This is so out of my comfort zone but right now the need is urgent.<br />
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Here is how <b>you</b> can be a part:<br />
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We still have about 10 t-shirts left in various sizes. The shirts are $25 with shipping so leave a comment to find out if we have your size!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNHmmiRNPjeLvto4fzBBOIaOfvMy3zerBBBd9Tkna4znI75ZY78XPtWln6_2fSS0hcn6ZJqpowkS-SFaqzXC5CVvWet8u1Pg6186Qps6k1jJ0aNVSllUDqsAsYht0fy7oL4iVatjcN1jw/s1600/DSC_0411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXNHmmiRNPjeLvto4fzBBOIaOfvMy3zerBBBd9Tkna4znI75ZY78XPtWln6_2fSS0hcn6ZJqpowkS-SFaqzXC5CVvWet8u1Pg6186Qps6k1jJ0aNVSllUDqsAsYht0fy7oL4iVatjcN1jw/s320/DSC_0411.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pictured above is our shirts that feature John 14:18</div>
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We have lots and lots of bracelets for sale. Each bracelet is $5 and says "Bringing Jaelynn home". The wide bracelet has it printed in white and the thin have the letters embossed. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI930KEbK-Z8wyUKhyphenhyphen7efsiwPU9rSDnWreocSf_Aiio88OLEf0KbCKpliO4DOuA9Ob0R0ZprlF9Wprln9T3tphffP4XZXP9ONxwqhVAy3OyaElBpDoqtkYODkRCGjNDgHmOzhEEBVWyGlu/s1600/photo-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI930KEbK-Z8wyUKhyphenhyphen7efsiwPU9rSDnWreocSf_Aiio88OLEf0KbCKpliO4DOuA9Ob0R0ZprlF9Wprln9T3tphffP4XZXP9ONxwqhVAy3OyaElBpDoqtkYODkRCGjNDgHmOzhEEBVWyGlu/s1600/photo-1.JPG" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebVJpfQErKF7bov4HXLuCBoZrSTfjPBt_YTRUU7n8hpkuSI5NG0BB5Vxxy9F9ceVXkRMKtj38iEmXRWbEWNWiJC7EqfiOFSkQxB8naSYaOolskZimL2qc9fbYtsWAJeHfA5LmpKGvoLUf/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgebVJpfQErKF7bov4HXLuCBoZrSTfjPBt_YTRUU7n8hpkuSI5NG0BB5Vxxy9F9ceVXkRMKtj38iEmXRWbEWNWiJC7EqfiOFSkQxB8naSYaOolskZimL2qc9fbYtsWAJeHfA5LmpKGvoLUf/s1600/photo.JPG" /></a></div>
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If you are a coffee lover head over to <a href="http://justlovecoffee.com/altmanadoption" target="_blank">Just Love Coffee</a> where a portion of your sales will benefit our adoption. </div>
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Our last fundraiser is a puzzle where you can purchase a piece for $2 and we will write your name on the back so one day Jaelynn can see all the names of those who helped bring her home. </div>
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All purchases and donations can be made through the paypal link on the right side of the page. Please consider how you can be a part of bringing this precious one home. In a Show Hope sponsor video Mary Beth Chapman says it best when she says. "Not everyone is called to adopt, but everyone is called to do something." How will you be a part of this beautiful story that God is writing?</div>
teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-80045602629615430632012-08-14T17:30:00.003-07:002012-08-18T10:53:40.249-07:00God Can Do Anything, You Know....We are now on day 33 of waiting for our LOA (letter of acceptance) from Chin@. I can not believe we are so close to meeting our sweet and sassy Jaelynn. We are raising the last of the money needed to bring her home. This has definitely been an experience in learning to trust God. When we began this adoption, we had no money saved for something like this. The biggest reason being that we never thought we would be adopting, much less adopting internationally. For our family the "call" to adopt was very specific. After our daughter returned from Chin@, the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">pictures of Jaelynn just captured my heart. I really can't tell you exactly why, other than to say that it was all God. My daughter took hundreds of pictures of beautiful children, but every time I saw Jaelynn's picture my heart melted and I wanted to know everything about her. What is funny to me is that the pictures she took of Jaelynn were not "good" pictures of her, don't get me wrong, she is a beautiful little girl, but the pictures that Katie took of her were not the best. Whenever Katie tried to get a picture, Jaelynn would do something goofy like drool water out of her mouth or do something funny with her eyes. Maybe this is why I fell head over heels in love with her, because I could see her silly personality and knew she would fit right in with the rest of our goofy family. The first step of filling out the application for our adoption agency was a big step, as we were actually putting action to what we were feeling called to do. It was a very vulnerable place, because even though we felt that God was in it, I thought, "What if God closes the door?". I knew I would be heart broken. Instead of doors closing, it seemed that all along the way we have received confirmation that we are in fact Jaelynn's family. It started with a complete stranger with a love for orphans and specifically a love for Jaelynn designing and purchasing approximately 150 t-shirts to help us kick off our fundraising efforts so that we could move forward and begin the home study process. Then a huge yard sale where many people from our church donated items to sell. God has shown Himself mightily over the last several months, but tonight, two things specifically stick out in my mind. Let me give a little background. When you begin an adoption you meet a whole new world of people. When I say meet, I have not actually met most of these people in person, but through the Internet and the ministry of Show Hope. One family who I will meet in person one day after we bring our little girl home, has become so precious to me. This family has adopted a little boy who was best buddies with Jaelynn. A few weeks ago I was reading through my friends old blogs, blogs that were written before I knew who Jaelynn was. In one blog my friend describes a little girl who is friends with her son (she was in the process of adopting at the time) but does not yet have a forever family and she was heart broken to know that soon she would go to Chin@ to get her son and leave Chin@ knowing that his friend still needed a family. She was praying that God would raise up a family for this little girl. My friend wrote this blog on June 19, 2011, the exact day that my daughter, Katie, walked into a room and met her... Jaelynn. The day this blog was written, God was beginning a work in my family that I could not have ever dreamed. I am so thankful for all of those people who knew Jaelynn and prayed for her and for her family. It is humbling to know that people we don't even know have prayed for us in some way.</span><br />
The second thing that is on my mind tonight is a financial need. On Saturday I was going through our mail and I opened an envelope from our mortgage company. It was a notice informing us that our house payment was going up by about $200 per month. I was so discouraged, as we are doing all we can to pay some bills off and save money for the time I will need to take off from work. Well my husband was doing some Internet searching and he saw a very part time job opening at our local high school as a study hall monitor, between 4-6 hours every week. This would take care of what we need to cover the increase in our house payment. He applied for the job online yesterday and this morning received a phone call asking for an interview and was offered the job, right on the spot. They understand that my husbands first job priority is his position as pastor at our church and they are also aware that we will be traveling to Chin@ in a few months. Sometimes I feel ashamed at my lack of faith and need to remember the words of one of my favorite verses..... "God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us." Ephesians 3:20 (The Message). I just love the way The Message phrases that verse!<br />
Thank you for praying for our family. Our LOA could arrive in anywhere between the next 20 to 90 days. We are asking God to for 20 to 40 days...... He can do anything, you know.teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8008736952587478299.post-10354558508851773912012-07-23T18:17:00.000-07:002012-07-23T18:33:02.241-07:00What A Day That Will BeHow do you explain the love you have for a child that you have never met? The only thing I can compare it to is the love that God has for His children. In a physical sense we have never met God, but when we receive Christ as our Savior, we become heirs of Christ. We have all the rights and priveliges of a natural born child. He becomes our Father and one day we will meet him face to face. "What A Day That Will Be". Have you sung that old hymn before? In a similar way I have never met Jaelynn, but I am her mommy. I love her just like I love my other children. I am her mommy and one day soon, I will meet her face to face and Oh what a day that will be! (Please do not get me wrong, I am in no way comparing myself to Christ). Today I was reading some information about our little girl. One of the things I was reading was about a surgery that she underwent some time ago. I thought about this sweet little girl having surgery and then going into a recovery room. It breaks my heart to know that her mommy wasn't there to comfort her after surgery. I am an adult and honestly I can not imagine going through a major surgery and not having my mom around. Thankfully someone better than her mommy was there watching over her and protecting her and that someone is our heavenly Father. God has just begun to write her story and I am so thankful that our family will be a part of it. Everyone that has met our little girl tells us what a smart, funny, loving, and happy little girl she is. Thank you Lord for protecting her heart and for placing her in such a wonderful place while we all wait. Thank you to all the care givers and nannies who have taken such good care of so many special children. <br />
Last Friday we received our pre-approval to adopt Jaelynn, yet another milestone on our way to China! Today a package was delivered to Maria's Big House of Hope for Jaelynn and hopefully she now knows that she has a mommy, daddy, 2 big sisters, and a big brother. Pray for Jaelynn as she processes this information. Though I am sure she was happy to find out about her new family and receive a package with gifts just for her, there will be many adjustments for her when she comes home. Pray that God will continue to preserve her sweet spirit and that we would be able to help her through her time of transition.<br />
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God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us. Ephesians 3:20 (The Message)<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIVBzNBfgEPrCgkQBYarAu-rI-rt6SCoqKrJcNQO9qRwrrPLAv5bFHI4xhZEY1BDUUNwiwe0AMnJ5oiB5ftiWHXGIwC2Ukr45yzU9mw4pzGGxgmMi4S9cwoR2Cwo4PmNaRT3ih8JSveRX/s640/blogger-image--1498242173.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTIVBzNBfgEPrCgkQBYarAu-rI-rt6SCoqKrJcNQO9qRwrrPLAv5bFHI4xhZEY1BDUUNwiwe0AMnJ5oiB5ftiWHXGIwC2Ukr45yzU9mw4pzGGxgmMi4S9cwoR2Cwo4PmNaRT3ih8JSveRX/s640/blogger-image--1498242173.jpg" /></a></div>teresaaltmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14107669060463442079noreply@blogger.com0