We are going to Haiti...

Well, in a surprising twist, we received word from our agency that Haiti was now requiring adoptive parents to be present for court in Haiti to finalize the adoptions. This was surprising because 1. we didn't have to do this for Kenley and 2. we had no idea that we were so far along in our adoption of Jenite.
This was amazing news to know she was so close to being legally ours...but it also presented some unique challenges...how would both Andy and I travel to Haiti with Kenley newly home and Mathilda still nursing? What would we do with the other kids? How would we afford it? How could we scramble to get a new home study so we could submit our immigration paperwork to bring her home?
Perhaps surprisingly, the most difficult decision was whether to bring Kenley with us or leave him home with his grandparents...
We knew we would bring Mathilda because she is still nursing...but what was better for Kenley? Keep him with us, his new parents, and bring him back to Haiti, to the place he longs for and misses, to see his friends, and leave his friends again...or leave him home, with out us...for 5 days...
In the end, we have decided to bring Kenley and Mathilda down to visit our sweet Jenite and make her ours...
I am so excited that Andy will finally get to meet his new daughter and see the homelands of our beautiful children. And I am happy Kenley will get to see his friends again, knowing that whether he likes it or not, he is coming back home with his forever Mommy and Daddy who love him so much.
We leave the 16th and return the 20th...please pray for our safety and good luck in court.

Facebook

I am on Facebook way more now than I am on here, if you want to keep up with Kenley's comings and goings a little more closely, feel free to add me as a friend (cara.peckys). I will still keep updating here, but if you want to get a little more up close and personal, feel free to join up with us on Facebook!! Just let me know in the comments that you are from the blog!!

African Caribben Heritage Camp

Kenley at the airport preparing to leave Denver and go back home, these pictures are in reverse order and I am too tired to fix it!!
Asleep on the way to the airport after a fun day at the Denver Zoo.
Kenley and Mathilda.
Midrine packing Kenley up to take him home with her...note his legs...
Asleep in the car after camp...
Parachute fun at camp!
Riding the bikes!!
Kenley at the Denver Children's Museum
Kenley on the way to camp, he was so good on the plane...


Every year, Colorado Heritage Camps put on camps for adopted children and their families. Each camp is designed specifically for the heritage/ancestry/country of birth of the particular child. This year, I took Kenley and Mathilda to check the African and Caribbean Heritage Camp. Adding to the fun, my friend Julie took her daughter Midrine, who is from the same creche as Kenley, along as well.
We really had a great time. The camp was fun for the kids, the trainings/speakers for the adults were really good and it was awesome to see other families that look like ours, and to hear how they have faced similar challenges and situations. I think the best part was watching the kids renew their friendship with each other and also make news friends.
I really enjoyed the experience and think we will probably head back again next year with the whole family...or at least all the kids!!

6 months home...

I can hardly believe the words as I type them...Kenley has been home for six months!! I look at him with amazement. In some ways, it seems that he has been home forever. To look at him with his brother and sisters, you would never know they did not know each other 6 months ago. To listen to him talk you would be amazed he has only known English for 6 months. In some ways, he has come so much further than I would have expected. He doesn't need constant supervision, he listens and behaves, he loves on us and seems quite bonded. In general, he acts much like an average 4 year old. There are some areas that concern me at this point, but overall I am amazed at how much like a "normal" family we seem. I am also amazed at everyone's capacity to open their hearts and their minds and find it in themselves to love someone that they didn't even know 6 months ago...Kenley included. I often wonder what is going through his mind as we encounter new situations, both good and bad, together. I don't know that he fully understands that he is a part of our family forever. And I don't know that he really "gets" what that means anyway. I guess that is our job to teach him, and it seems to me that is a fast learner...

Jenite

We found out this past week that our case with Jenite has come out of IBESR. This is a huge step, but one I am greeting cautiously. Most cases where the adopting family has biological children have required the signature of the president of Haiti in order to be approved. We do not have this signature. There is no telling if we will be allowed to proceed without it, or if we will be sent back for it at some point in the future. So, while we are glad to be moving along, we still wonder if and when she will actually be home.