Geography

Adoption begins with obedience, continues through challenges and ends with blessings. For me, during the challenging part of the journey to Keemberlie (currently still going on!), special blessings have come to encourage me along the way. One of those blessings is the Lord's unlocking some ideas in my heart/mind and turning them into songs. I'm not typically the songwriter in the family. Billy, as you may already know, is THE songwriter among the Foote clan. He's penned some well known worship songs such as "You Are My King (Amazing Love)", "Sing to the King" and "You Are God Alone". I've been watching and learning over the years, but the words to express my thoughts have been locked up somewhere inside, unable to break through. All that to say, I'm very excited about this new gift of words and even more excited to share that Billy has given a thumbs up to begin working on a CD that includes some of these new songs - songs that tell our family adoption stories from some creative angles. I've shared lyrics for "Ready" and "Your Little Girl". Today I'd like to share the lyrics to one of my favorite songs so far -

Geography
Words/Music: Cindy Foote
(c) Poetic Present Songs 2010

verse 1:
That's where you are from
The coastal city of Xu Wen
Newspaper's been telling me
The day of sweet discovery
A miracle on Second Hong Qi Road

chorus:
Geography, never mattered much to me
Til gravity changed my course
Now I'm studying the land and seas
With my children from all around the world
In San Antonio

verse 2:
That's where you are from
The very heart of Africa
Biography's been telling me
The story of a baby
Prophetically born in Hosanna town

chorus:
Geography, never mattered much to me
Til gravity changed my course
Now I'm studying the land and seas
With my children from all around the world
In San Antonio

Verse 3:
That's where you are now
An island in Atlantic Sea
Tragedy's been happening
But better days are coming
For you at 17 Laboulle Road
You're coming home!

Geography's been telling me tonight
Distance is ready to loose the fight.

This is Keemberlie Josephine ("Josie" is what we will call her) - our daughter in Haiti, age 7.

P.S.  I was given an opportunity to write a guest post on a special blog of a fellow Ethiopia adoptive mom - Kari Smalley Gibson -  www.mycrazyadoption.org. My guest blog post will show up tomorrow (the 28th). Would love for you to click over there and read my post: "Jesus is the Prize or the Orphan is the Idol".

Pre-K Wrap Up

Libby and I jumped into the homeschool world last January. So this December brought the fun realization that we have now completed our first year of homeschooling together and Libby is now done with Pre-K. Kindergarten here we come! Tonight we had a brief little celebration with Libby letting her know how proud we are of all she has learned this year. She's memorized 90 timeline cards, over 12 Bible verses, and many more facts. She's reading short words with short vowel sounds!  I've read a TON of books to her (thank you Sonlight!), completed four workbooks full of auditory, visual and memory skills tests and..... we survived. More than that, we've enjoyed it (for the most part ;) ).

This is the certificate we gave her tonight for completing pre-K:

Keemberlie Turns 7!!

On December 6, 2010 Keemberlie turned seven while still residing at HCRM orphanage in Haiti. For me, it was a tough day emotionally. I wish I could say the paperwork is moving along and we are closer to bringing her home, but I really have no idea. The pastor who oversees the orphanage is working hard, this is for sure.

Anyway, we began the day, as usual, praying for God to bring her home. Later, while Libby's friend Maliah was with us we baked a birthday cake for Keemberlie. We knew we wanted to celebrate her birthday whether she was home or not. I think its a great picture of how heaven probably celebrates over us and things we do for God's glory and we just don't know its going on. Keemberlie doesn't really know how we pray for her and celebrate her, but one day she will see a record of it.

The day got a whole lot better when I was able to reach a fellow adoptive mom, Elisabeth, by Skype who was at HCRM on a visit.  As soon as Keemberlie was in view on the computer screen I heard her say, "I love you, mom. I miss you soooooooo much." Oh how I love her!

Billy held Gracie while Libby and I gathered with them to show Keemberlie how we all had our birthday party hats on and then we all sang happy birthday to her and showed her the birthday cake we made. Our friend, Jon Meyer, was here and he took a picture of us just as we were singing the last note of the song to her. I love this picture:

We also checked up on Keemberlie's tooth that busted out when she fell recently. It was a bottom, baby tooth, which is good news! Permanent upper teeth are still there! We introduced Keemberlie to a name that we have chosen for her. On my last trip to Haiti she told me she did not like the name Gabby that we were thinking of using. So we spent some more time searching for a name she might like. When we told her the name she smiled and said she liked it. So, looks like we will name her Keemberlie Josephine Foote and call her "Josie" for short. Josephine means "Jehovah Increases"... I like that. And Joseph, in the Old Testament has always been my favorite person in the Bible (ok, other than Jesus, of course!). I love the way he forgives his brothers for abandoning him as he says, God allowed this to happen and he made good out of it. (paraphrased). I pray Keemberlie can look back on her first seven years and have that kind of outlook... God redeems and makes good things come about out of all kinds of tragedy.

So, Josie - for your future enjoyment - here are some pictures from your 7th. birthday celebration:

A homemade cake - yellow cake, chocolate icing and lots of sprinkles!

birthday dinner = sausage, spinach and cheese tortellini soup with cornbread and peach tea

at the table: Libby, Gracie, Billy and Jon...and me with the camera

Dad feeds Gracie her piece of cake and she LOVES it!

Awwwwwwwwww!

chocolate chin = yummy cake now devoured

this face says, "please come home now"

More Birthday Celebrations and Thanksgiving in Longview, Oh Wait...Christmas Too!!!

We headed to Longview for the Thanksgiving week, but that particular week in the Foote family is not just about Thanksgiving. BC, Billy James and Libby all have birthdays in November. And since we switch each year's celebrations between my side of the family and Billy's side, whoever we are with for Thanksgiving gets an early Christmas too! Needless to say, it was a BUSY week of PARTIES and CELEBRATIONS! We celebrated each of the special moments in Wendy and Robbie's new and beautiful home. It was the perfect place for gathering. The pictures below tell the story of the week...

Papa is just as silly (maybe more) as Gracie

the big girls eating...and see, Papa Boots really is silly

Wendy gets her Gracie love

These three amigas had a blast together

For Billy and Libby's birthday party Winky made half the cake a soccer theme for Libs and half a fishing theme for Billy. Really cute!

The birthday pair

Libby: "I can't wait to hear the crinkle of paper." 

Helping Papa Boots open his birthday present from us

party hats and cute girls

Libby and Grammy with their sweet Grammy

Thanksgiving Day family photo

Thanksgiving Day Family Photo with BC, Winky and Tompkins family

A very cool trio

sisters in green

Winky's mom,  and Robbie's mom

Karen, Wendy and Robbie

The complete family photo adding in great grandparents and Stark family

sorry this one is sideways, it won't fix for me...but its so cute I can't leave it out. Grammy buys the girls new matching pjs every year and these red gowns are just beautiful! Grammy even bought one for Keemberlie so it's here waiting for her when she comes home!!!

more pjs!

Christmas celebration included gifts of various dress up clothes. Libby got a knight costume, a police uniform, a doctor uniform and an indian costume - some from birthday gifts and some for Christmas. Brooke got this adorable outfit and a matching one for one of her dolls. All the girls got a TON of gifts - board games, clothes, baby dolls...you name it! Now to find a place for it all.

BC and Winky with their three grandbabies

Gracie got tictacs in her stocking because she asks for them ALL DAY. She walks around saying, "Tac Tac, pwease." And if I say no she says, "Oh pwease mommy" as she bats her eyes and grins.

A special Christmas gift for Keemberlie from Grammy. It was an ethnic Barbie doll and doll clothes along with a coloring book and other things she received in a stocking. Can't wait til she's home to play with it all.

Robbie opening his gifts.

Me and Gracie opening Christmas gifts

Gracie ADORES the  baby dolls she received from her grandparents and her aunt Wendy and Uncle Robbie. She kisses them, talks to them, feeds them... just so precious.

The beautiful Christmas tree in entrance to the Tompkins home.

Once we arrived home Libby went through all her costumes over and over again. She makes a really cute Indian, don't you think?

Gracie in the precious outfit Grammy gave her for Christmas. I love it!!!

In all, the week in Longview was a fabulous one with memories to cherish forever! Thank you to the Foote and Tompkins families for making our visit so special!

Soccer Special

Grammy and Papa Boots made a very special trip to see Libby play in a soccer game this fall. It was so sweet of them to drive 6 hours just to see one of her games. Here are some special pictures from that day:

Libby wanted to show Grammy her Halloween costume the night before the game.

Papa and Gracie

Grammy and Gracie - Gracie calls her Gigi

Ready to play!

Sweet picture

on the sidelines - still having fun

Chinese Domination

This fall Libby and her dear friend Maliah joined the same soccer team - The Baracudas! And it was clear after just the first game... Chinese Domination!!! These two sweeties ruled the field and helped their team win almost every game. After the final game of the season they were both given trophies that said "CO-MVP" !!!!! We had a blast watching them pass the ball to each other, guard each other, look across the field for one another. They truly played as a team and looked after one another.