As some of you know, we have struggled with infertility and God's plan for us regarding more children, which we desperately want. In June, I underwent unsuccssful medical treatment, and because of our limited time left in Brazil, we know we don't have the time to fight the bureaucratic adoptive process here. In what was our final show of giving up total control, we sold all of Mac's baby stuff last weekend. Last Sunday was Brazilian Father's Day and part of the sermon focused on delighting in your child, so we decided to delight in this near-perfect little boy we have and not focus on what we don't have.
And then last night, I received a call out of the blue from a friend in Brasilia who had a lead on a woman who is pregnant and who is "100% sure she's going to give up the baby for adoption." Go figure...
So I'm off to Brasilia early in the morning to meet this birth mother to try and convince her that we're the right people for her to hand over her baby to. The baby is due September 20 and is a boy.
I am so nervous about this meeting and I really need your prayers. Specifically I'd like for you to pray for me to have the peace of God going into this and to know that no matter how this ends, God is sovereign and has great plans for me as a mother, even if it's only to Mac. I'd also like you to pray for the birth mother, that she might understand the depths of our hearts' desires. Even if she chooses not to give us her baby, I want her to know in her heart of hearts that we would've done anything possible to raise up a healthy, happy baby into an adult that she would've been proud of.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Mac's First Day of Kindergarten - a look back over the last 5 years
Forgive my nostalgia. Mac started Kindergarten today, and he and I went through all his baby gear this afternoon. It's been an overwhelming day.
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Monday, August 4, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Summer Happenings
Since my last posting, a lot has gone on at Casa Story. We took a family vacation to Argentina to snowski in late June. Sadly there wasn't a lot of snow, but we had a great time anyway. More will be coming on that trip later.
We arrived back in Sao Paulo on June 30, and Mac and I left for South Carolina on July 1, so it was a quick turnaround. Thankfully you use dramatically different clothes for winter and summer vacations.
Mac and I have had a good time visiting with family and friends. We spent some time at my mom's mountain cabin, and we've just come back from 12 days at the beach. Now that I've started packing up stuff, it seems like any other time was spent shopping. Photos will be forthcoming from the beach once I get back to SP next week.
Our biggest summer news has been the semi-finalization of Jimmy's onward assignment. As you know, Jimmy thought he would have been going to Afghanistan this summer, but our move to SP bought us an extra year. Time is nearly officially ticking now as it appears he's off to Afghanistan next summer. He was to be paneled for the job this week, and I haven't heard whether that happened, but if and when it does, it will all be a done deal. Tentatively, he is planning to leave SP by mid-April after which he'll enjoy a couple weeks at home before reporting to Washington for Pashto language training on May 1. Mac and I will stay in SP until mid-June so that Mac can graduate from Kindergarten there. Jimmy will then leave on August 1 to head to Afghanistan where he will be the political advisor to a military unit. It should be completely different from anything he's ever done before, and I know he'll make the most of it. Mac and I will spend the year in SC to be near family, which is the only way we'll be able to make the most of it!
So that's the news of the month. Mac and I leave next week, so we're busily filling our days with things like dental appointments and trips to the local aircraft carrier museum and of course, the last-minute shopping! Hope you're enjoying your summer wherever you are!
We arrived back in Sao Paulo on June 30, and Mac and I left for South Carolina on July 1, so it was a quick turnaround. Thankfully you use dramatically different clothes for winter and summer vacations.
Mac and I have had a good time visiting with family and friends. We spent some time at my mom's mountain cabin, and we've just come back from 12 days at the beach. Now that I've started packing up stuff, it seems like any other time was spent shopping. Photos will be forthcoming from the beach once I get back to SP next week.
Our biggest summer news has been the semi-finalization of Jimmy's onward assignment. As you know, Jimmy thought he would have been going to Afghanistan this summer, but our move to SP bought us an extra year. Time is nearly officially ticking now as it appears he's off to Afghanistan next summer. He was to be paneled for the job this week, and I haven't heard whether that happened, but if and when it does, it will all be a done deal. Tentatively, he is planning to leave SP by mid-April after which he'll enjoy a couple weeks at home before reporting to Washington for Pashto language training on May 1. Mac and I will stay in SP until mid-June so that Mac can graduate from Kindergarten there. Jimmy will then leave on August 1 to head to Afghanistan where he will be the political advisor to a military unit. It should be completely different from anything he's ever done before, and I know he'll make the most of it. Mac and I will spend the year in SC to be near family, which is the only way we'll be able to make the most of it!
So that's the news of the month. Mac and I leave next week, so we're busily filling our days with things like dental appointments and trips to the local aircraft carrier museum and of course, the last-minute shopping! Hope you're enjoying your summer wherever you are!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Boys Will Be Boys!
For Father's Day, my friend Laura and I surprised our husbands and children with a trip last night to an indoor go-cart track here in Sao Paulo. Jimmy was in heaven - he got to drive a go-cart for 30 uninterrupted minutes. Laura's husband Scott won the race (he's had years of test-driving fast GM cars), and Jimmy came in 3rd place. Thank goodness this track was a little expensive; otherwise, I think we'd spend every other weekend breathing noxious go-cart fumes!
Check out the go-cart driving get-up (and notice the too-short pants!).
For all the "action" shots, check out the Father's Day Go-Carting link on the right hand side of the blog. Scott is #13, Jimmy is #17, Samantha is #16 (in a green shirt) and Jonathan is #10. The little boys, Mac and Michael, decided to be spectators on this go-round.
Check out the go-cart driving get-up (and notice the too-short pants!).
For all the "action" shots, check out the Father's Day Go-Carting link on the right hand side of the blog. Scott is #13, Jimmy is #17, Samantha is #16 (in a green shirt) and Jonathan is #10. The little boys, Mac and Michael, decided to be spectators on this go-round.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Pre-K Graduation!
Today was Mac's last day of preschool! There wasn't really a graduation, but we've made a pretty big deal out of it at home, so Mac says he's graduated now to K-5. His experience this semester at Chapel has been extraordinary - his teacher Ms. Emilia is a dream teacher, and Mac adores her. She's going to be a tough act to follow in August! I won't bore you with the commentary from his report card, but clearly Mac is brilliant!!
Mac (just above the bookshelf on the bottom left) with his class and his beloved Ms. Emilia
The Chapel Posse
Mac (just above the bookshelf on the bottom left) with his class and his beloved Ms. Emilia
The Chapel Posse
Monday, June 9, 2008
The Need for Speed
This past weekend we went with our friends Pella and Christos to Curitiba in southern Brazil to the drag races. Pella and Christos and their children live in Sao Paulo courtesy of General Motors, but sadly (for us) they're going back to the US later this month.
Our going to the drag races is a convoluted, but real-life, example of how small the world is and how you never know when you're going to run into somebody again. When Jimmy and I were in high school, we were friends with a Brazilian exchange student, Fabio Freitas, who had the distinct pleasure (?) of being sent to Moncks Corner, SC for a year. Over the last 20 years, we have kept up with Fabio through mutual Moncks Corner friends. When we moved to Brazil in 2005, we got in touch with him and have had the great pleasure of spending time with him, his wife Claudia, and now their little baby girl Fernanda. Fabio's family is as hospitable as he and Claudia are - they've been gracious enough to welcome us to their family retreat time and time again, and we have loved every second of it.
My short story is getting long... Fabio has two sisters: Gisele and her family live in Sao Paulo and we see them a lot, much to our delight; and Simone and her family live in Rio Preto (along with Fabio and Claudia and his parents), so we don't get to see them as much. Simone's husband, Caca Daud, is the Brazilian national drag race champion in the street car division. He drives a GM Astra that has been really souped up - he covers a 1/4 mile track in 11 seconds at 240km/hr (150mph). Not your average Sunday afternoon drive in the country... Check out www.cacadaud.com.br for complete coverage of Caca's racing.
Caca is in the right lane (looks like a black speck against the white wall). Notice the difference between his car and the other one down low. This is why Caca's the champion and that other guy is not!
Jimmy, Caca, Christos, Pella, Susan (holding Mac who could not keep up the pace at 10:30pm!) - dinner on Saturday night
To see all our photos from the weekend, click on the Curitiba link under Story Family Photo Albums on the right side bar. I didn't label the photos, but there are also pictures from our visit to the Arame Opera House (made solely out of metal mesh and glass), the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, and people playing American football!
Our going to the drag races is a convoluted, but real-life, example of how small the world is and how you never know when you're going to run into somebody again. When Jimmy and I were in high school, we were friends with a Brazilian exchange student, Fabio Freitas, who had the distinct pleasure (?) of being sent to Moncks Corner, SC for a year. Over the last 20 years, we have kept up with Fabio through mutual Moncks Corner friends. When we moved to Brazil in 2005, we got in touch with him and have had the great pleasure of spending time with him, his wife Claudia, and now their little baby girl Fernanda. Fabio's family is as hospitable as he and Claudia are - they've been gracious enough to welcome us to their family retreat time and time again, and we have loved every second of it.
My short story is getting long... Fabio has two sisters: Gisele and her family live in Sao Paulo and we see them a lot, much to our delight; and Simone and her family live in Rio Preto (along with Fabio and Claudia and his parents), so we don't get to see them as much. Simone's husband, Caca Daud, is the Brazilian national drag race champion in the street car division. He drives a GM Astra that has been really souped up - he covers a 1/4 mile track in 11 seconds at 240km/hr (150mph). Not your average Sunday afternoon drive in the country... Check out www.cacadaud.com.br for complete coverage of Caca's racing.
Caca is in the right lane (looks like a black speck against the white wall). Notice the difference between his car and the other one down low. This is why Caca's the champion and that other guy is not!
Jimmy, Caca, Christos, Pella, Susan (holding Mac who could not keep up the pace at 10:30pm!) - dinner on Saturday night
To see all our photos from the weekend, click on the Curitiba link under Story Family Photo Albums on the right side bar. I didn't label the photos, but there are also pictures from our visit to the Arame Opera House (made solely out of metal mesh and glass), the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, and people playing American football!
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