OUR NEW SONS

Isaac-his pictures came black and white, photocopies

this is the best I can do until we get the cd's fedexed

but we have waited a LONG time to see his sweet little face

Isaiah

We have been waiting for months to make this announcement, and to let everyone know we are back on the adoption track again.

After finding our boys back in April, we have finally gottent he dossier paperwork from Taiwan, and along with that photos of our little guys.

Can you believe it? TWO boys? Isiah is 3, and Isaac is 9 months old.

I will be sure to post more later, but we had to get these photos out for all to see

WE are SOOO BLESSED!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Chris and family

BABY PICTURES!!

We love this one-Tyler in a headcovering!!

Children eating has to be the best kind of photo


Check out those cheeks!!

Looks very much like the puppy we sent to him 2 years later!!

You would think it was actually cold there-was this Siberia, or tropical Taiwan?

We are so excited!!

We have just gotten baby pictures of Tyler from TWCA in Taiwan. We asked for some photos of him when we sent in his one-year post-placement report, and we got several yesterday morning.

I am so happy to have a little piece of his past to share with him some day. And, he looks like such a happy baby, just like the little boy that he is-happy, smiley, and loving eating!!

I am however, kind of sad by this as well. Every day, I just kind of take it for granted that he is mine, and sometimes I actually forget that he was/is someone else's too-While I am his forever mommy, there is another momma and grandma/grandpa a long ways away, who will probably never forget their little man. The decision they made 2 years ago to relinquish him brings us much joy every day, as he is just a delight, but the pain they must bear, I can not even imagine it. How very grateful we are to them for sharing such a gem with us.

I know it has been ages since a post, but before bringing everyone up-to-date with what is going on in our lives, I will post these baby pictures first, and try to do another post in a short time (remember, short is relative, and for this way-too-busy farm wife/momma, short could mean another month). But, we do have a 5th birthday just around the corner, and that is always a perfect time for posting, so who knows, maybe next week we'll get some pictures of the gang up and fill you all in on the upcoming changes in the Waughtal home!

Thanks for stopping by

Blessings

Chris

Some Homeschool Co-op Fun!!

This past fall, our family took part in our church's homeschool co-op for Flying Creatures of the Fifth Day. This is a wonderful curriculum written by Jeannie Fulbright and sold by Apologia, a publisher of science books for homeschoolers.

We love our time in co-op, and this year, we used a neat set of folders from Live N Learn Press, another homeschool company that creates wonderful lapbook-type folders that can be used inside our notebooks.

Below are some of the pictures of my kids' creations. We use the folders , which are really review questions/explanations of the days' readings, after we do the day's readings from the Flying Creatures text. Then, we glue them onto cardstock, slide them into page protectors, and put them in our binders.

Sometimes, we would do the folders after all the reading for the day, sometimes we did them as we read-the folders have to be printed out ahead of time, and the children cut them out, fold them according to the instructions, and write, draw the answers inside.

A mini lapbook inside the Flying Creatures notebook, as each child also did an oral report during our co-op time-Nick's assignment was the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird

A 2-page spread of the folders inside the binder

Some close-ups of the inside pages of the bird lessons



More examples of the folders inside the notebook

Nick's front cover of Part 2-the bird lessons-we broke up the readings according to the season-as we started the co-op in the fall, and we were needing to study insects, we did the last chapters first, so we still had live specimens to catch and examine

A page from Kendell's insect notebook

Kendell's front cover of Part 1-insects

More inside pages of the folders

Fun with wheels and other folders

The folders were a huge success, and we will be using LALP's Swimming Creatures of the Fifth Day folders this fall when we do another co-op.

Blessings

Chris

One Year Ago!!

It just does not seem possible-one year ago, we had our first glimpse of our tornado!!

All the anticipation, all the agonizing waiting, all the wondering, praying, and waiting some more-

It seems that the trouble of that time in Taiwan last year is only a vague memory-Tyler's horrid behavior, his fears, his non-stop running away from us, his biting, hitting and "bah" to his momma-along with the horrible mess-up with our paperwork, and the sleepless nights in the Agora as I spent countless hours on the computer, or phone trying to reach people in the states who could rectify our problem!

Now, one year later, all I really remember are the hugs, the snuggles, the "Mommy" that I hear all day long, the "ein you" that we all hear at any time of the day or night, and the endless smiles and giggles that come from our boy!!

How wonderful is that???

The memories of Taiwan are not what we had hoped for, but the photos are a great reminder of the beauty of the country, and the tremulous first days as a family of 5, the endless flight home, and now, we have an adorable 4 1/2 year old who is so firmly entrenched in our family, and our extended family, and we know we serve a GREAT GOD who orchestrated this entire thing, from the very beginning. The first days of agonizing over which program in Taiwan-Cathwel or TWCA, and His constant provision as He lead us through all the long waits for a referral, (and our potential leaving this program for a referral from Russia, only one day before we got THE CALL) the endless court times, the problem paperwork, the tough initial weeks-He is faithful, and He has provided abundantly, and we are continuously amazed at how much He loves us.

While we have come a long way in the last year, we have only one to thank for all of it, and to Our Amazing and Awesome Heavenly Father, we give you thanks and praise for our family!

The pictures that follow are not in any particular order-as I found them, I loaded them-so enjoy our walk down memory lane-I have shed a few tears as I have looked at them, and they are tears of joy and thanks!

Our favorite place in Taiwan-the Geo Park

the first day home, and he is already the center of attention, and loving it!!

A tired little boy, who really had NO CLUE what was happening to him-his first night with us!

Exploring around the Agora

Thank goodness for those bubbles-what a great way to entertain a little boy those first days!

We are forever thankful to Tyler's foster mom

Our first glimpse of our new son!!

If you only knew how seldom this boy sleeps-and to catch him sleeping in an airport!

On our way out of Seattle!

Little Leo-Happy one year to you big boy!!

Love you guys!

family time at the Grand Hotel

Tyla and Baba on the last leg of our journey home

Adorable!

OOOHHH, Ica Cream is COLD!!
Now it is his FAVORITE dessert

Hard to believe he was that small

Lounging around at the Agora

Thanks for stopping by on our one year anniversary day-We are so BLESSED!!

In Him

Chuck, Chris, Nick, Kendell and Tyla (aka Tyler)

Tyler's Readoption if Finally Complete!

On Tuesday, March 3, 2009, one week before our Family Anniversary, we completed Tyler's readoption in the state of Wisconsin. It was quite painless and not even very hard to get the paperwork done, but did require a nearly $300 bill from the social worker to complete the report required by the courts-although I know that is fairly reasonable compared to other adoptive families' stories.

We really only needed the readopt to legally change his name-not to make him ours-it was kind of cute on Tuesday morning-we had the whole day off chores, and that does not happen very often at all, so when Tyler woke up, we were all in the house. He climbed in bed with "Daddy" (it's very rarely Baba" anymore-and told him, "I want to go see the man who will make me Tyler Waughtal forever"

He has an extreme abhorrence for anything to do with Taiwan at the moment, and when we had explained that his name was not really Tyler yet, he was furious and would not allow any further discussion about his Taiwanese name.

So, we are pleased that "Tyler" is now official, and we are feeling blessed to have almost a year with our little man!

The judge presented Tyler with the choise of teddy bears following his readoption-he was all smiles when he was showing it off to us in the car.
Ourside the courthouse-yes it was very cold, and a very bright sun, hence not many smiles

It was an old courthouse-not a sign around that we could take our picture by, but we are happy!!

Check back next week, as there will be much to say about our one year anniversary!!

We will take a trip down memory lane and ponder the entire adoption experience!

Blessings

Chris

More Thanks

It is time to recognize more of the everyday things around me that I need to be rejoicing in-for we are to "count it all joy!" Even though that is a tough thing to do some days, looking for those little things in everyday life that we know we can rejoice in and be thankful for really helps to deal with the blows that come each day too!

21. a day off the farm

22. a safe time of travel-seeing areas of the countryside we have not been through for quite a while

23. a visit to the accountant-and a TAX REFUND

24. Record milk prices last year-coupled with record expenses that brought about the tax refund

25. Time with Grandma

26. The smiles of a happy 4 1/2 yr old while playing

27. The smiles of a 10 yr old while doing school work on the road

28. The smiles of an almost 10 yr old as she learns along the way

29. The gift of homeschooling my children-no matter where we are

30. March is here, and spring is COMING!! Oh Happy Dance!!

Blessings

Chris

Greenhouse Fun

We have been getting our hands into the dirt already. And it was a lot of fun too-the children really enjoy helping our friends who have a greenhouse, and filling pots with dirt and potting new baby plants was a very good therapy for us since the weather has been relentless, ruthless, and bitter cold for 2 months now.

They tell us it was the coldest winter on record for 28 years for Hillsboro-YIPPEE-the best news is that we are through it, and now we find out JUST HOW COLD IT REALLY WAS!!!

We hope to go back again next week and help with more planting-It is really making me itch to get going on the garden-yes it is a couple months off, but planning ahead never hurt a guy! Plus, it kind of helps to have something warm to think about on these still not-so-warm days of early March.

I am sure playingin the dirt is just in a kid's nature-they are always all smiles!

Tyler and his friend " 'Turah" (short for Katurah) they managed to find lots of fun things to do for the couple hours the rest of us worked

It is so much fun to work in a warm greenhouse (outside it was 17 degrees Friday) and to be amongst GREEN

Nick is quite a worker, always looking for things to help out with

Tyler did get into the act a bit too-when he wasn't playing with 'Turah!!

Blessings

Chris

Thankful for a SNAKE???

There always seems to be an abundance of difficulties in our life lately.

I suspect God may be trying to teach us many different things, and I confess, I have not been a completely willing pupil in His school of tough times lately. There has been much murmuring and complaining coming out of my mouth, swirling around in my thoughts, and showing in my actions.

While it seems easier to respond with negativity, anger and despair, oh, the havoc we wreak on our own lives when we do not receive the bad and ugly along with the good with a sweet spirit. My children have been witness to my ornery side, my contentious side, my despairing and having no hope side.

Yet, it is so untrue. I have a hope, and I have to rest in that hope.

Therefore, when things like plugged up dishwashers mean we wash dishes as a family every night for the last 2 months, we should rejoice.

Yet, when that plug makes its way into the line of my KITCHEN sink, then life takes on a whole new level of difficulty. Yes, I have another sink, in the basement, and we used it 3 times a day for the last several weeks.

But, finally, I said, "Enough" and we decided it was time to do something about this-probably the thought of having 19 people in the house for a meal, with ALL those dishes to wash, was the real incentive!

We bought several drain cleansers, used our own puny sewer snake, and did not get very far.

Finally, after my 3rd trip to the hardware store, we broke down and rented one of their sewer snakes-a long, 50 ft monster with a hand crank, and guess what??
I have flowing water again-Halleluia!!

It is really the little things in life that can throw our days off when they don't click-but it is truly the little things in life that can lift our eyes to Jesus, and push us closer to Him, if we let them.

Continuing my gratitude list

11. rented sewer snake

12. husband and son cleaning my drain for me

13. daughter that willingly washes dishes for me

14. dishwasher that now runs again

15. a faithful heavenly Father that loves me through all my despair and doubt

16. spring is just around the corner

17. 33 degrees today at 5am-it can only get better from here

18. thoughts of gardening-delighting in making those plans for filling our pantry

19. grocery money that filled up an empty refrigerator and cupboard

20. a wonderful time of fellowship with 3 other families on Sunday afternoon

Nick really gets into his work

watching the water drain out-photo by Kendell


water

figuring out how it all works

the beast that has eased my household duties!! AMEN

I really need to spend more time being grateful-it is such an antidote to a negative world-I have been the queen of negativity lately-here is hoping this post will bring a renewed effort towards gratefulness and thanking God for ALL OF IT!!-Even the stuff I don't like.

Blessings

Chris