Haiti Trip 6

We returned yesterday from a "whirlwind" trip to Haiti. We were there three days (with two days of traveling), but it feels it flew by.

The purpose of our trip was to appear before a judge to "prove" we wanted our girls. Apparently this had been part of the process, but was rescended, and now reimplemented (we're running into a lot of this).

So Monday most of us on the trip went to the courthouse. Couple by couple was called into a smallish room with Kiki (our processor) and someone (we have no idea if he was a judge, court clerk, or ???). Our last name was written in the top of four blank pages in a notebook. We signed our names at the bottom of these four blank pages and were told by the processor that he would fill in the official wording later -- we're all a little bothered by that. The whole process took about 30 minutes for all of us.

We spent very little time at the orphanage, which was a switch. We didn't know how much time we'd have with our kids because of the signing, but since the process went so well for a previous team, our kids were brought to us at the hotel Sunday afternoon. We had to take them back to the orphanage Monday before signing, then picked them up afterward. That's all I was at the O.

We spent a lot of time in the pool (it was so hot in the morning/early afternoon). The girls LOVE the water. And I think it was a good bonding thing for them and Mark.

My biggest concern of the trip was how the girls would be with Mark. Islande met him and spent a little time with him on our first trip in June 2007. However, we had only spent an hour with Katiana, who had just been brought to the orphanage. Katiana has seen pictures of Mark, which I'm sure was a help. So on Sunday afternoon when the kids arrived at the hotel, Islande ran to me and then to Mark. Katiana ran to me and then turned away from Mark. But it really didn't take more than 10 minutes before she was comfortable with him. Praise God!!

The biggest news of the trip came Tuesday night (our last night there, the kids were already back at the O). Each family was able to meet with Kiki about our process. We found out we've been out of Parquet since June/July, and he was surprised we had not been told of that. However, with this signing thing, we have sat in nowhereland since then. Kiki said that if we didn't have to deal with this signing, we most likely would have had our girls home by now (barring any glitches). I assume this has to apply to all of us on the trip since we were in the same place.

So ... we ought to hear in a couple weeks that we've been admitted to Second Legal (civil court). Second Legal is where the Adoption Decress is written and verified: the girls will be ours legally and have our last name.

Afterward the dossiers are submitted to the Passport Center for review. Then they go to the Minister of Interior (MOI) before returning to the Passport Center for the passports to be printed.

One thing that hasn't happened for us yet, that has happened for other families at our stage (or earlier) is the birth parent interview at the Consulate. This was supposed to have been scheduled when I signed the I-600 back in July 2008.

"At this stage, many things can happen. The birth parents are brought in for an interview. Depending on the outcome of that interview, they can require more documents, ask for DNA testing to be done, or say that the interview is satisfactory. In any case, as soon as they are satisfied that the child being adopted is adoptable and the birth parent(s) are the real parents, they will prepare your packet and let us know when it’s ready."

Kiki is setting this up.

Once the packet is issued and is sent to the Embassy, a Visa appointment will be made. When the visa is issued, we can travel to get our kids.

Please pray that the rest of the process proceeds with no glitches! It's amazing we could have the girls home in a few months!!!!

So, enough of that, an on to the pictures!


Jodie and Mark with Katiana and Islande soon after the girls' arrival at the hotel Sunday afternoon.


Mark with Islande and Katiana.


Islande and Wadnise on Monday. Wadnise is coming to Colorado Springs, too. I'm so glad they're close.


Mark and Katiana.

Mark with Katiana, Islande and Wadnise.

Katiana asleep with Mark. She didn't want to nap with me, but she fell asleep in his arms. He later brought her up to the room and she finished her nap with me.

In the pool!

Katiana laughing at something.

Katiana had been pouting because she wanted to go up to our room, but it was being cleaned. So Mark pouted with her.

There was a makeshift swing that Katiana wanted to sit in.

Katiana and Islande before returning to the orphanage Tuesday.

Fall Photos

Update: "Mr. Fuzzy" (who isn't fuzzy at all) is most likely a Western Tiger Swallowtail larva. According to the expert I contacted, "These guys often darken or turn brown just before they make their crysalides. If you save the chrysalis, you should get a very beautiful butterfly next June." I wish I knew where Mr. Fuzzy went, and I hope he survives the winter. See you in the spring, I hope!


Check out "Mr. Fuzzy," so named by my daughter and a neighbor girl. We came across him this evening on the sidewalk near our home. I have no idea what kind of caterpillar it is. I love its fake eyes, the black stripe and the little blue dots down its body. I haven't seen a caterpillar in ages.

(please ignore my extremely dry hands!)




Below are shots from the zoo last week.

And from Trails West at Buena Vista on Sunday morning. This last weekend was our women's retreat. However, I was feeling poorly and didn't make it out for photos this year. I did get a shot of the freshly fallen snow in the area mountains before I left.

At the Alpaca Farm

(I've been trying to upload a movie to YouTube, and it's not working well, so it will be in another post).


A friend had e-mailed about a free event at an alpaca farm. It was about an hour drive north of here, but since we had to go to Aurora (90 minutes north) early in the morning to redo our fingerprints for the adoption, it actually was on our way home.

We got there right when the farm opened, and thought we'd be there a few minutes. We were there a few hours, and had a GREAT time.


Charis was able to:




Feed alpacas (Carlton -- the white one, and Deacon Black are both 1-year-olds).


Learn how to spin alpaca wool on a spinning wheel with Miss Stephanie.




Hug the crias (babies) -- look at his pretty color!



Take Carlton for a walk with Miss Sharon.




Spin with a spindle with Miss Mary Jane.


Chase ducks.



Treadle on Miss Stephanie's spinning wheel.

Charis absolutely loved the spinning. She would run back to that after seeing something else. And she was the only child there for a long time.


There were alpaca wool products and goat milk soaps for sale, as well.


We also were treated to a delicious lunch. It was a great day!!!

In case you were wondering (I know I was), alpacas are camelids, and are the domesticated relatives of the vincuna from Peru. They are raised for their wool, which is very soft, light and warm. Llamas, also camelids, are the domesticated relatives of the guanaco of Peru, and generally are thought of as the beasts of burden. Llamas are much larger animals.


Alpacas also are very quiet. Their noise is like a soft hum. It's actually very sweet and soothing. I may have to get a couple alpacas to help me sleep. :)

Boot Camp Cake

A friend wanted a camoflauged boot cake for her workout boot camp's instructor, who likes to say, "You can do anything for 10 seconds."

The cake is a tower of 4" rounds, alternating between vanilla and strawberry cakes (I found/altered a fabulous recipe!). The cake is covered in fondant. The shoestrings are Twizzler pull-aparts (I could only find cherry, so I had to dye them black with gel coloring -- the spray didn't work). The figure is modeling chocolate (my first attempt).

Two-Wheelin'

I went to the store for a bit this evening. When I came home, Mark had taken off Charis' training wheels.







My baby is growing up too quickly.

Donuts with Dad for Picture Day

Charis' school did something today called Donuts with Dad, which I think is a FABULOUS idea! There was quite a turnout, and I think I heard someone say they got 50 dozen donuts and really should plan for more next time. Mark said they ran out of juice.

Can you tell what flavor donut Charis had?

But the part I found to be not-so-fabulous was that it was also picture day. I had volunteered for the morning and spent half the time wiping donut glaze (among other things) from precious little faces. Can't say much for the dirtied shirts. Sorry, moms. I tried.

But it's all good.

As an aside, don't you love Charis' bangs?!?!? Yes, I paid good money for that.

Winnie the Pooh Cake with Bumblebee Cupcakes

Winnie the Pooh cake with dozen bumblebee cupcakes for a friend's daughter's 2nd birthday. The cake is chocolate with vanilla buttercream. The cupcakes are vanilla cake with vanilla buttercream. The wings were made with candymelts.