Who Moves to Maui?

          Well this is weird!  I never imagined that this was in my future, and now present life.  Who moves to Maui?

          I really wanted to have this blog post include every little miracle that has brought us to this point.  I have journaled all along the way, which means I would need to reread and copy it all down to be able to share it with you.  In light of time, we are just going to have to see what spills onto the page.

          Where do I begin!?  I guess we begin a little over two years ago when the whole family, meaning Grammy and Grandpy, cousins, and siblings, saved up and took a family vacation to Maui over Christmas.  As the trip came near, we started talking about taking Malakai off his meds and 'testing' how he would do there.  We got the idea from Josh's Grandpa, his mom's dad, who suffered here in the Northwest with bad asthma and heard he might do well in Hawaii.  He, Josh's G'pa, went and tested it, and it turned out he was totally well and felt great there.  Then moved his family over, and Josh's mom lived there for 9 years growing up.  

          Here in Idaho Malakai was at the point of needing to be on Prednisone way more than we were comfortable with.   He needs daily inhaled steroids always, and sometimes extra inhalants on top of that, and then with that still ends up on Prednisone, and sometimes oxygen.  We have used the natural and medical approach.  Josh has run labs where we discovered his severe food and environmental allergies which trigger things, along with cold and dry air.  So Kai doesn't just have a bad season here, it is always.  (Side note:  We use the natural therapies in conjunction with his meds.  We know it will do him well to have a healed 'gut', his nutrition imbalances corrected, and we do allergy therapy as well.  I'm not listing everything here that we do, but I know people are curious and helpful.) 

           Back to heading to Maui in December 2012....So I was totally scared to take Kai off his meds because it was always a recipe for disaster.  We had done it at different times while testing different types of therapies.  But we prayed and asked God to show us if this was something that would help Kai, and if it was something he had for our family. So by faith we gave Kai his last treatment before we left, and off we flew.  The longer we were there, all together 2.5 weeks, the better Kai got.  Miraculously better!  Everyone in the family was amazed.  Matter of fact, when we were leaving I was devastated, I begged Josh to let us stay.  I know it's completely illogical, but I was dead serious.  I was like I don't need to go home and sell anything, like I'm ready to just buy a tent, and start over.  When you have seen your child so sick and you find something, or in this case somewhere, he can be well, the mommy heart says yes no matter the cost.  Yes, I know it is paradise, but even though it is paradise, moving there is no easy thing to do!  And that is not a complaint, it is simply true.  (Side note:  We were home from that trip for about 4 days and Kai was on oxygen.  I think that was the first time our house went up for sale.)

             So in the last two years we have put our house for sale about 3 times I think.  I lost track!:)  We would put it for sale and then Josh would go take the sign down.  We sold my favorite car, and I'm glad, but in the name of moving and then he took the sign down.  lol  This is why no one truly believes we are going.  It has been a roller coaster!  

              I think it ultimately boils down to God opening the door, the right time, and much preparation.  I'm thankful for each of those things, and God has been continually guiding us and giving us those sweet encouragements at just the right moments to keep us pushing forward.  And here we are!  At last!

            So many things, and many more that I'm not writing.  All I can say is that I'm thankful God is not far but near.  I'm thankful He answers our prayers and all who call on Him.  I'm thankful he cares for us down to the smallest detail.  I'm thankful that we get to walk by faith on great adventures, and His plans for us are good.  I'm thankful that His dreams for our family are bigger than our own.  I'm thankful to be married to someone who is always willing to follow God no matter what, and that is the reason I never worry.  I know if God shows Josh what He wants, Josh will say yes no matter how difficult.

               And seriously hats off to my amazing husband.  He is always learning, always willing to change, always generous, always following God, and always SO much fun to do life with.  Through school, moving, adoption, opening businesses, more adoptions, foster care, and now moving away from everything even some of his own dreams of running a business with his dad, and cousins growing up together, Josh follows where God leads and I'm so thankful for him.

Aaliyah Home 1 Year and 9 Months

Never could you have told me what would unfold in the last one and three quarters of a year.  Some of the greatest blessings and victories, and some of the hardest things we have ever faced as a family.  Our testimony stands to say that God is who He says He is, He is true to His Word, and His promises are true and very real.  

Aaliyah is a delight!  She is so joyful and sweet.  She has come from a very hard place with many hurdles to overcome.  Older child adoption for us has been different from infant adoption.  All three of our adoptions 'felt' different, and I guess the circumstance in each one was different.  I would say the infant adoption was a quicker attachment process for us and the older child adoption was a slower attachment.  Looking back at this point I can surely say that the Lord has knit us all together and it is really fun to look back and see the progress made.  One of the promises of faith we have seen played out is that no matter how you feel, if you choose love, God will grow that love.  

        I know the blog is sometimes the place to divulge all sorts of detail, but in this circumstance the details were a train wreck for me, but they are not my story to tell right now.  Something happened in our family that I thought was one of my worst nightmares.  The crazy thing is that God used it to show me that there is no such thing as a worst nightmare because He was holding all of us in the palm of His hand.  We never fell, no one was permanently injured, and evil meant to bring harm and tear a family apart, but the Lord used it to knit us together, and bring healing in ALL of our lives, not just Aaliyah's!  Now I call that a victory, not a nightmare.

          There has been a lot of sacrifice, work, love, and forgiveness poured out all over this beautiful mess by every one involved near and far.  I have done the ugly, full on sobbing snotty cry more than once, but we have also laughed until we cried over hysterical things this little girl from Louisiana brought to Idaho. But I stand here today to tell you I have a daughter!  A beautiful, lovely, dark, tall, shining daughter that WE all love and adore.  God is so good!  It is so much fun to have a daughter.  Something I knew nothing about until 1 year and 9 months ago:)  It is different than I imagined, especially since she was almost as tall as me and she was FIVE.  But I have cuddled, tickled and rocked her like she was and is my little baby.  I promise it is a hysterical sight to behold, but it is needed and wanted.  Oh my:)  I do believe the Lord has a sense of humor!

So I'm going to leave it at that for now.  

She's HOME!

So much has happened in the last month that I really have no idea when I was where, or what day anything happened.  But it happened!!!  Aaliyah is HOME!

We drove to Texas, picked up sweet Birth Mama T, and drove on to Louisiana where we met Aaliyah.  We waited in the car while T went to the door of Great Grandma's house where Aaliyah was staying.  And the door opened and this sweet little girl rushed into T's arms full of excitement.  We went to a local pizza place that night.  T had told Aaliyah that she was going to meet her brothers.  That's how the door of conversation was opened to Aaliyah.  So we ate pizza and watched Aaliyah interact with Hudson, Kai and Solo.  There was a pretty instant connection.
Aaliyah is FULL, brimming over with joy.  Obviously a gift of God.  Her circumstances could have easily made her something different, but not this girl. She has a sweetness that flows from the core of her.  T also had this same sweetness.  
Day 2 we met Aaliyah and T at a park where we played for a little while.  Afterward we went for some food and then T had a graduation party to go to, so from that point forward we had Aaliyah.  The next day we picked up T and headed back to Texas.
Apparently Aaliyah grew up around some fairly racist people.  (This was one of the reasons T wanted to get Aaliyah out of the area she grew up in.)  But she made us laugh non stop for days with the things she would say.  The second day or so we had to stop the kids from a little slap match they were in.  And we told her one of our rules was no hitting.  She looked at us and said, "Y'all a bunch of mean white people!".  lol  Another day Josh asked what her favorite thing she learned in Kindergarten was.  She said, and I quote, "You can't learn it.  You gotta be black to learn that."  So we have obviously spent time training her on those things as well:)  She's a quick learner.
We ended up being in Texas about a week.  She very quickly formed attachments to us.  We were mommy and daddy within hours the first full day.  I really wasn't sure what to do since T was with us, but eventually I decided to roll with it because that's what T wanted, was for Aaliyah to have a mommy and daddy.
She feels like she was always supposed to be here.  It feels like there was an empty spot waiting for her all those years.  We couldn't have planned or picked any better.  She simply belongs.  We love this girl.  And the part that amazes me more is that she loves us back.  That doesn't always happen with an older adoption.

Now for a small back story that is a MUST tell.  Six years ago April I was in a Bible study and I felt an internal nudge to pray aloud, thank you for this baby....I thought no way am I saying that out loud!  But as it was getting closer to my turn I felt like to not speak was going to feel like I disobeyed.  That morning in my devotions the verse that jumped out at me was Matthew 10:27, "What I tell you in the dark, speak in the daylight; what is whispered in your ear, proclaim from the roofs."

So with that in mind also I prayed it in faith.  Out loud.  Someone actually said what? because I said it so mumbly quiet.  So I had to REPEAT it!  Afterward everyone was like are you pregnant????  I'm all....uhhhhhh, no. Of course I was so excited after it happened, feeling like God was speaking to me, I told everyone I knew about it.  My sweet mom in law bought me like five pregnancy tests:)  All negative! 

Since that very day I have wondered about THAT BABY!  Would I ever meet it?  or know what that was all about?  I believed I would know someday.  When we started adopting I thought could this be it?  And it never was.  Time slipped further away and it seemed more and more impossible.  But I never gave up hope.  I knew I didn't invent that prayer.  I hadn't been thinking anything like that at that time. 

When we almost adopted from Africa I thought surely then, that's when we will finally know!  nope.

BUT the time is now!  Aaliyah is her name.  Aaliyah was in her mama's belly when I prayed that prayer.  Aaliyah was a name we had on our list.  I loved the meaning.  It symbolizes the journey of the Israelites to the Promise Land.

When this was all happening, I knew that I knew this was FINALLY that baby I prayed for all those years previous!  But it wasn't at conception or birth when I prayed.  So I thought it must mark something during the pregnancy.  So I asked God to confirm it for me when I would tell T the story.

Just like God, He provided the PERFECT moment and conversation for me to share what happened and ask her about it.  Well when I told her it happened in April, she said, "Did you say April???".  I said yes, and she said, "Oh my God!  I hid my pregnancy until April.  That's when I let it be known that I was pregnant."

We were CHOSEN!!!!

On Friday March 8th, 2013 we got that long awaited call from the adoption agency!

They called Josh's phone first.  He was in Costco getting Kai some pajamas, and a few groceries.  So Josh called me and put himself, the agency, and I on a three way call.  Then they told us the news!!!  Aaliyah's mom had picked us!  I can't describe that feeling!  

I have been asking God to do Aaliyah's best since learning about her on February 2nd.  For me to hear that WE were chosen was so humbling and mind blowing!!!  She has been in my heart for YEARS!~ but I didn't know if this was her or not.  So I'm in girl la la land for now.  SO thrilled.  I can't wait to start getting to know her and loving her.

Adoption is one of many ways to watch our awesome God at work in our little lives.  

A little back story:

Last May Josh and I took a walk in the mountains.  He said he had been praying and wanted to know what I thought about adopting a little girl around age 5, and possibly being open to sisters if that was the case.  I of course said YES!  So after that happened we heard about some girls from Africa that were needing adopted.  They were sisters.  They were older than we said we wanted, but we thought, 'we trust God to do our best, and their best', so we went ahead and stepped up to adopt them.  While we were quickly doing all the International paperwork, approvals, money, etc etc, the girls were reunited with their father.  We had gotten pretty attached to them so we were sad to not see them again, but at the same time, we were so happy for them.  So then we were back to square one.  Here we had all this paperwork finished, approved, paid for...So we thought lets go ahead and send it off to Africa anyway and see what happens.  Well neither of us had peace about it when it came down to it.  That was really shocking because we both always dive in head first.  We had everything done and ready.  So why no peace????  We couldn't understand it, but we decided to wait on God for a bit and see what happens.  Well then we get the call for Aaliyah.  Had we not pursued the girls in Africa we would not have had a home study to give the agency.  They weren't accepting families that weren't 'ready to go'.  And to top it off, Aaliyah was a name Josh had chosen for a little girl if we had one.  

SO much fun to see God steering the boat as we stepped out in faith!  I always wondered what would be at the other end of this one!  Now we know!!!  That 5 year old little girl we prayed for almost one year ago!  Actually 9 months ago to be exact!

Will it be us?

So we are one week and a few days into having our HEALED baby!!!  I can't tell you what a relief and how exciting this has been.  To have a child that could hardly go outside, ended up in the ER, or on oxygen, on a daily inhaled steroid to semi-function...Going from that, to a boy is breathing TOTALLY WELL!!  So much fun!  I am finally sleeping without a monitor on him.  He is enjoying playing outside, going places, and the stress relief!  I don't have to check the air quality app before going to the grocery store...I'm telling you!  We are more than thrilled.  So beyond thankful.  He can breath and breath well.  And his skin is clearing and no runny snotty nose ALLLLL the time!   
God is so good.  We just asked.  Many people were asking:)  A few people didn't want us to move:)  So in case any of you were planning on buying my house or car, they are off the market!:)  I guess Boise, Idaho is stuck with us for now.

Now onto the next thing that I really want to keep track of.  We said yes to having our profile shown for this 5 year old little girl.  Her name is Aaliyah.  A name we had previously picked as a girl name we would use.  Also before the whole thing with the two girls from Africa happened, we had actually said we were interested in possibly a 5 year old girl.  When the girls from Africa showed up, we saw a need and thought who are we to say the age?  So we stepped in big time faith for them.  Well then they were reunited with their father.  So here we sat cleared home study, also cleared Internationally.  But neither of us had a peace about sending our dossier off to Africa.  THAT was totally strange because it is all I've talked about since the beginning.  But I had no peace.  So we hung on to it with the clock ticking.  THEN this situation came up.  Well to even be considered for Aaliyah you had to have all that completed, which because of the Africa situation we are ready.  So all that to say, we are ONE of FOUR total families being shown to Aaliyah's mom.  They seemed to think they will be showing her mom the profiles this week or weekend sometime.  It was pretty unclear.  So that's that.  So many people are praying for Aaliyah now.  For that we rejoice.  We want her to go to the best family for her, so we are praying God would move her mom's heart to the perfect place for her daughter. I of course hope that is us!!  I'm not going to lie to you!:)  BUT!!!  I'm so happy no matter what because I know that God has his hand on that sweet child who is getting ready to lose so much.  He has the perfect place getting all worked out for her.  So I will let you know if it's us!  and I will let you know if it's not.
Either way, if you read my blabbing, could you say a prayer for her and her mom, and the whole thing?  Thanks!

HEALING!!!

So blessed to be able to type these words

God healed MALAKAI!!!

If you read the last post, you know that we were on our way out of here!  We had listed our house, our car...we were deep cleaning, we were being pre-approved for a mortgage in Maui.  We had a realtor there.  We had picked a neighborhood, and we were going.

We love Hawaii  

2 things have always stopped us

          ONE= family

          TWO=expense

Well when it's the only place you have found where your kid can breath, it becomes worth figuring out, and letting go of your reasons.  So that's where we were, on desperation hill. or valley. or floor...anyway you get the point

We have always had a 'plan' to sort of live below our means to enable ourselves to give, to adopt, etc.  Well that went out the window with living on Maui.  So did the adopt part.  And here we sit with a completed dossier and home study.......

HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED

Friday night Josh and I were out to dinner without the kids when my friend Tiffany texted and asked for prayer because they are in the adoption process and got news of a situation and were feeling unsure about it.  So I called her back, we talked and prayed.  She texted me later saying if they didn't go forward, would we be interested???  For us it was a yes, we are definitely interested.  Meanwhile, Josh and I picked up the kiddos and got them home and to bed.  Josh asked me to go tuck Hudson in.  So I went up and we read a book and prayed etc.  So about 20 minutes later I came down the stairs.  I found Josh sitting in the chair in very deep thought.  Well, I went into the kitchen to finish up some dishes I brought downstairs and Josh walked in the kitchen and said, "I'm going to fast and pray tomorrow and ask for Malakai's healing.  I don't want you to give him his meds.  That will be our step of faith.   I was totally on board because I had been hoping for this type of thing from Josh.  But for a moment I was like EEEEEEEKKKKKKK!!!!!!!  For Kai to be off his meds could mean a trip to the ER or some pretty scary stuff at home.  I mean we were only a couple weeks 'out of the woods' from his last pretty major episode.  As we talked Josh said hearing of the little girl that needed adopted just made him want Kai's healing desperately.  He just wants to be able to do adoption and giving, not spend all of what we have on us.

Now rewind just a bit.  I have to intertwine some people into this story.  Josh's parents had started fervently fasting and praying and asking God for Kai's healing and asking what stood in the way. Jana felt like Josh needed to be a part of the healing process, and one night Keith had a vision as he was going to sleep.  The best way he could describe the vision was that there were things that needed to be pulled off of or out of Kai.  

Now back to Friday night.  Josh was having trouble sleeping.  So while awake he decided to start praying fervently for Kai's healing.  He envisioned what his dad described and prayed through it.  

The next morning I knew Josh didn't get much rest so I made sure I was up when the kids got up.  Well when I walked in Malakai's room I was IN TOTAL SHOCK.  He looked EXACTLY like he did when he was in Hawaii.  In Hawaii it took him about 1.5 weeks to look like that.  I put an itchy, runny nose, wheezy kid to bed.  I found a bright eyed, dry nosed, clear skinned, healed child in the morning.  Those of you who know Malakai know you have never ever ever ever seen him without a snotty nose.  The difference is astounding.  

It blew me away!!!  

One more part to the story.

My mom.  She had been really asking God for healing for our family.  It has been so difficult. One night as she was praying she sensed in her spirit that God was telling her, it's done.  And she kinda questioned it, like what, or which one?  really?  Then a short time later she was again praying and God said to her, watch.  Then a short time later all of the above transpired!!!  

Now at the end of the day, or shall I say on Saturday we contacted the agency the little girl is involved with and let them know we are interested.  The agency said it was a very urgent situation so it would need to take place within a week or two.

But because of the house going up for sale, I made Kai's room into a little girl bedroom (because of our last adoption, that's the only decor I had!), and my house will be thoroughly gone through, organized and clean.  So my nesting will be complete.

AND that homestudy will be put to use!

We will see what God has.

AND last but not LEAST!!!  I want to thank all of you who have prayed and believed with us for Kai's healing.  We thank you so much for standing with us in such a time as this.  May God receive the glory and praise

Moving?

Alright.

As

Usual

WE are onto something...

I'm not up on it, so I have to BACK TRACK yet again for this to even remotely make any sense to someone reading who isn't intimately involved in our lives.

WE MIGHT BE MOVING

Our pumpkin pie, Malakai, has extremely severe allergies and asthma.  We are talking food and environment, and when I say major I mean major.  I'm toting an epi-pen and all kinds of goodies with me.  

You say what food is he allergic to?  The easier question to answer is what is he NOT allergic to.  He can have chicken, beef, fruit, and vegetables minus peas.  We were already used to all the allergy stuff when we adopted Kai.  That part didn't even make me flinch.  The asthma.  That's another story.  We have to suck air.  It's a mandatory part of being alive.  So long story short...Kai is very very very very allergic to the Northwest region of this country.  Like has to be put on oxygen at times.  Like hospital visits where they role in the crash cart...  Has to go lengthy periods of remaining indoors.  We have all kinds of air purifiers all over the place.  At any rate, you get the point.  It's serious.

We have done all sorts of medical intervention and alternative and natural interventions.  Josh has run all kinds of blood work, which we supplement specifically with, we have done laser treatments, we have done homeopathy, we do chiropractic (OBVIOUSLY!:)), we do the pediatrician...the list goes on.

These days Kai has to be on a daily inhaled steroid to function.  And even with that he's not doing great.  He still has to have other treatments on top of that at times, and he's still itchy, scratchy, sneezy, stuffy, and snotty.  (And this is just all in one dwarf! not seven)  Even with that we are still limited to indoors much of the time.  

We went to Maui this past Christmas.  We have heard of many people who go to Hawaii and get well or do way better.  So before going we prayed lots and decided that if Kai was absolutely PERFECT there, we would open the conversation of should we leave everything and move there so our boy can have a 'normal' life.

Welllllllllll.  WE went.  He was PERFECT.  No meds.  No itchy.  No scabs.  No eczema.  He could BREATH!!!!  He could play outside just like a little boy should!  I have never ever once been able to see this child be so free.  It was a complete and total delight.  

So we came home:(  So sad to leave the beauty and joy of this kid being so free and healthy.  But we had to see the contrast and we thought perhaps God healed him while we were there!!!  But within two days of being home symptoms began, and within one week we were back on oxygen, heavy liquid steroids and breathing treatments and stuck indoors.  

One other interesting detail was that the person we rented the house from on Maui also has asthma, but if he stays in Maui he doesn't have the symptoms.  When he goes back to where he's from he said in about one week it starts.  He also said upon returning to Maui he is well in about a week and stays that way. We saw the same thing in Kai.  Once we were there about a week he was doing really well, but the longer we were there the more 'perfect' he became.

Just another journey of faith....what does God have in store???  We will find out as we step in faith.