My studio piano recital for 2012 was on March 17 - St Patrick's Day!! It was a busy day for me because of the recital, but I was very mindful of St Pats because it was a holiday my Irish grandmother always loved. I wanted to have green programs... but that didn't work out, so my white programs each wore a green shamrock sticker. I wanted to have a new green blouse... but I couldn't find one I like that was mostly green, so I got one that sported summery flowers and green leaves. I wanted to have peppermint patties for the families to eat at the reception... and I got them! :-)
The recital was a lot of fun, even though it was hard work for David & me. I chose a two-week turnaround between piano festival (an adjudicated event for my students out-of-town) and recital for the sake of the students; I wanted them to be able to perform their festival pieces for their families while they are already sounding good, but 2 weeks is fast for me to get certificates printed, programs typed & printed, and trophy nameplates engraved. It's worth it, though. I don't have any pictures to share... but 21 out of my 26 students were there, and many smiling photographs were taken by their proud parents & grandparents. I understand that one student's dad was out of town, so they used a mobile phone and he was able to watch his son perform via "Facetime". Cool!
For 8 of the students, this was their FIRST recital with me, and they seemed to enjoy themselves very much, even though one student was on crutches, another froze up with stage fright and forgot her piece, and I skipped over another student in the program... and the audience had to catch my mistake! I hope the day will stay in their memories as a positive experience-- playing on a BEAUTIFUL, shiny grand piano, hearing the applause of 100 audience members (that's a LOT for a kid!!), enjoying tasty punch & snacks, getting a certificate and/or a trophy, having their picture taken at the piano (AFTER the recital--not while performing!!) and I hope they will continue making music all their lives, and that doing so will bring them joy.
Thank You, God, for the gift of music, and thank You for enabling me to share it with your children.
Mar 24, 2012
Jan 31, 2012
A New Adoption Direction
So, it's been 22 months since we finished our home study interviews and entered the period of "waiting" for an adoption placement. I hate to say it, but in some ways I feel like my life entered a holding pattern; not overly fun. It seems like everyone else's life is moving right along - babies being born, kids getting older, more babies being born, people graduating, people getting married - and we're just sort of stuck in waiting.
God is faithful, though, and I've been busy. I did a play at the local theater and played piano for a rehearsals for other plays, I have rejoined our local Chorale for the first time since Mom & Dad Latona came to town, I operate a healthy-sized piano studio of 26 kids, and we are both still working with the college students in the local BCM club - we actually had the officers and the campus pastor over for dinner Friday, and we spent time praying for the students and for the work God wants to do with the club on campus. We got to travel to see my parents and my sister during Christmas, and I went back in mid-January to meet my new baby nephew. Of course, Mom & Dad keep me busy too, but they are feeling pretty good, and we have been 6 months without a hospitalization. whew!
Things have been happening on the adoption front too. We connected with an additional agency, Lutheran Services of Georgia, shortly before the end of the year. So far, we've done orientation, submitted an application (not much paperwork), and attended an IMPACT training session, which is required in order to adopt children who are in state DFCS foster care. Yup, that's right, I said foster care. The Lord has been opening our hearts to the idea of adopting slightly older children (past the infant stage) who need a family to call their own. We are both going to get fingerprinted this week (hopefully), and we're currently working on at least 60 pages of paperwork that's required by the agency and/or DFCS, hoping to have it ready for our caseworker early next week. We're also registered to attend a "domestic infant adoption" training session with this agency, as they also place infants who are not in foster care and whose parents voluntarily terminate their parental rights.
So, things are happening. I am not overly happy about having to do all of the paperwork, medical exams, background check, and interviews again, but it's a different agency, and they need it done again, so we're doing it. We still don't know when or who or how... but we're praying that God puts our family together as only He can - miraculously. Thank you for your ongoing prayers for "Baby Latona" and/or "Little Latonas" that will be coming into our lives.
God is faithful, though, and I've been busy. I did a play at the local theater and played piano for a rehearsals for other plays, I have rejoined our local Chorale for the first time since Mom & Dad Latona came to town, I operate a healthy-sized piano studio of 26 kids, and we are both still working with the college students in the local BCM club - we actually had the officers and the campus pastor over for dinner Friday, and we spent time praying for the students and for the work God wants to do with the club on campus. We got to travel to see my parents and my sister during Christmas, and I went back in mid-January to meet my new baby nephew. Of course, Mom & Dad keep me busy too, but they are feeling pretty good, and we have been 6 months without a hospitalization. whew!
Things have been happening on the adoption front too. We connected with an additional agency, Lutheran Services of Georgia, shortly before the end of the year. So far, we've done orientation, submitted an application (not much paperwork), and attended an IMPACT training session, which is required in order to adopt children who are in state DFCS foster care. Yup, that's right, I said foster care. The Lord has been opening our hearts to the idea of adopting slightly older children (past the infant stage) who need a family to call their own. We are both going to get fingerprinted this week (hopefully), and we're currently working on at least 60 pages of paperwork that's required by the agency and/or DFCS, hoping to have it ready for our caseworker early next week. We're also registered to attend a "domestic infant adoption" training session with this agency, as they also place infants who are not in foster care and whose parents voluntarily terminate their parental rights.
So, things are happening. I am not overly happy about having to do all of the paperwork, medical exams, background check, and interviews again, but it's a different agency, and they need it done again, so we're doing it. We still don't know when or who or how... but we're praying that God puts our family together as only He can - miraculously. Thank you for your ongoing prayers for "Baby Latona" and/or "Little Latonas" that will be coming into our lives.
Oct 28, 2011
Parenting our parents
My husband's parents are a big responsibility in our lives. I usually take care of their shopping & errands, and I accompany them to almost all DR appointments, but this week there were no DR appts on the calendar, and my dear husband took care of the errands, effectively giving me a little break. We've been spending Friday evenings with Mom & Dad, playing cards & usually having dinner together. Tonight I started cooking supper, and he went to pick them up & run an errand. Here's a little summary he posted on facebook tonight:
The good news is that the lost credit card was found (after David checked two of Mom's other purses), there was room in our frig for the milk (she can have it on Tuesday, but not today...), and that we are finding the humor in these situations rather than just plain stressing out. The best news is, though, that Mom & Dad are in good spirits, they feel loved, and they love us. They're not the same as they used to be, mentally, but we're still making good memories--that is, David and I are making memories--and we're in this together, honoring our parents as best we can.
So here is my life....I pick up Mom and Dad for Family Fridays! I decide to take my elderly parents to CVS....I think, "Surely, they can handle a trip to the pharmacy." Mom wants to buy birthday cards for Lynn, my mother-in-law, and me; Dad wants candy. So we enter the store and I show Mom the card section. Then I take Dad to the candy aisle and tell him to pick out two bags of candy while I go help Mom pick out cards. At this point Dad is passing gas and not to be gross but there is nothing as hideous as the gas a 91 year old passes. Another lady enters the aisle as I leave and I think, "Poor woman, she should run the other way."
I find Mom and she has picked out a card for my Christian mother-in-law. Mom picked it out in about 2 minutes flat and without her reading glasses. I read the card which starts out nice saying something about you deserve a day off, a day in the hot tub, a day to eat whatever you want, etc. Then on the bottom it says: "Do it all again tomorrow, what the hell, you deserve it." Not the right card for my mother-in-law for sure. So I help Mom pick out a better card and a card for my brother Lynn. Next I tell her, "I know you want to pick me out a card so I am going to check out these two cards and Dad's candy. After you buy your last card we will meet you in the car."
Dad and I go to the car and wait and wait and wait. I go in and find that Mom has been wandering the store calling my name, but now she is finally at checkout. When I go to checkout she not only has a card, but she also has a gallon of milk and more candy. For those who don't understand....Mom is a diabetic and she is constantly cheating on sweets (milk also is bad for diabetics). I freak out, but the lady already rang her out, so I decide to confiscate it when we get back to my house. However, there is one more crisis...she can't find her credit card. We look in every part of her purse and have no luck! I will have to look for it in her apartment later in the evening.
Oh, well that is a small snapshot of my life as senior caregiver! Pray for Amanda and me!!
The good news is that the lost credit card was found (after David checked two of Mom's other purses), there was room in our frig for the milk (she can have it on Tuesday, but not today...), and that we are finding the humor in these situations rather than just plain stressing out. The best news is, though, that Mom & Dad are in good spirits, they feel loved, and they love us. They're not the same as they used to be, mentally, but we're still making good memories--that is, David and I are making memories--and we're in this together, honoring our parents as best we can.
Oct 17, 2011
My Lord, my Encourager
I have been very frustrated in the waiting process lately. I chatted with my caseworker a few weeks ago, and she was very understanding and empathetic. She also encouraged me to connect with other agencies and have other options for adoption.
Here are just a few things that I have explored or discovered in the last 3 months:
* One of David's coworkers adopted from a crisis pregnancy outreach in Oklahoma several years ago. I read almost all of their website & made contact with a volunteer, discovering that while they still assist young ladies with adoption plans, they are not taking profiles from out-of-state couples at this time.
* Our home study has to be updated in order to be considered "current" by the state of Georgia. This will require us to do another round of medical exams with the doctors to show we are (still) healthy, plus a visit from our caseworker to verify that our home situation is (still) as we said it was last year, plus a few hundred dollars to update the study.
* An adoption agency in my home town is not taking profiles from out-of-state couples at this time; check back in 4-6 months. This second time they've told me this; I inquired at the beginning of the year too.
* There are many "family service" providers in various states, but each one has a limit on how many out-of-state couples they will work with, a multi-page application form, training classes & interview process.... even if we apply with only a few, we will eat up our adoption savings with fees & travel expenses, not to mention the actual placement fee (as little as $6K, usually $10K and up). Plus, most organizations want adoptive parents of infants to be within the ages of 25 and 45. David is very close to that upper limit.
* We have friends who are living in Kiev, Ukraine, and have made contact with an authority in the adoption services program in that country. Other friends also told us that the application process for that country is really quick right now - dossiers are being processed within about 4 months (that's REALLY fast for international adoption). It would be exciting to go to Ukraine to adopt, especially since we have a contact there now, but we might have to stay there a LONG time! We read a blog account of a couple in TN who adopted from Ukraine, and what they thought would be a 4-6 week trip was extended to 67 DAYS out of country. Because of our responsibilities with David's parents, we don't think we could realistically be gone that long.
* We sent our life-book to two young ladies in our surrounding community (friends of friends of friends...) who were early in their respective pregnancies and would probably be considering private adoption. We have not heard anything about their plans, though we continue to pray for both of them.
There is just SO much out there. In-state... out-of-state... international... agency... private... foster care... My head hurts trying to think through it all. YET, the Lord brought me unexpected encouragement just last night. I was serving in the nursery, and we had a little guy who was kind of fussy (and really sleepy!) and eventually was crying to the point where we sent for his mom before church was over. She expressed thanks that we sent for her, and in the course of visiting with her, I discovered that she and her husband had adopted him via private adoption, using an attorney, when he was about 7 months old. We chatted a bit about agencies we had been in contact with, and the LARGE amount of money it costs to adopt infants with some agencies, and I mentioned that we were using Covenant Care Services. She immediately recognized the name and said, "Oh, I LOVE them! When we adopt our next child, we want to use them."
What a wonderful bit of assurance that we are working with good people at a well-reputed agency. We're still exploring more options, trying to branch out, but my short conversation with this mom helped ease the uncertain desperation that I've been combating.
So many people have checked on me lately to find out how it's coming with the adoption, and SO many people have told me that they (and their children) are praying for us. It's so humbling; it makes me cry even now. It is hard to NOT KNOW, to STILL be waiting after all this time, and I would be an emotional MESS if not for my faith in God, who brings the blessing of children. For now, I have children in my life as friends, students, church family, niece & nephews, and I enjoy showing love to my friends and their children by spending with them and babysitting.
Thank you, Lord, for letting me love these precious kids as I wait.
Thank you, Lord, for so many organizations that minister to children & pregnant women.
Thank you, Lord, for my husband.
Thank you, Lord, for helping me wait for YOUR timing and YOUR good work; you are faithful ALWAYS.
Here are just a few things that I have explored or discovered in the last 3 months:
* One of David's coworkers adopted from a crisis pregnancy outreach in Oklahoma several years ago. I read almost all of their website & made contact with a volunteer, discovering that while they still assist young ladies with adoption plans, they are not taking profiles from out-of-state couples at this time.
* Our home study has to be updated in order to be considered "current" by the state of Georgia. This will require us to do another round of medical exams with the doctors to show we are (still) healthy, plus a visit from our caseworker to verify that our home situation is (still) as we said it was last year, plus a few hundred dollars to update the study.
* An adoption agency in my home town is not taking profiles from out-of-state couples at this time; check back in 4-6 months. This second time they've told me this; I inquired at the beginning of the year too.
* There are many "family service" providers in various states, but each one has a limit on how many out-of-state couples they will work with, a multi-page application form, training classes & interview process.... even if we apply with only a few, we will eat up our adoption savings with fees & travel expenses, not to mention the actual placement fee (as little as $6K, usually $10K and up). Plus, most organizations want adoptive parents of infants to be within the ages of 25 and 45. David is very close to that upper limit.
* We have friends who are living in Kiev, Ukraine, and have made contact with an authority in the adoption services program in that country. Other friends also told us that the application process for that country is really quick right now - dossiers are being processed within about 4 months (that's REALLY fast for international adoption). It would be exciting to go to Ukraine to adopt, especially since we have a contact there now, but we might have to stay there a LONG time! We read a blog account of a couple in TN who adopted from Ukraine, and what they thought would be a 4-6 week trip was extended to 67 DAYS out of country. Because of our responsibilities with David's parents, we don't think we could realistically be gone that long.
* We sent our life-book to two young ladies in our surrounding community (friends of friends of friends...) who were early in their respective pregnancies and would probably be considering private adoption. We have not heard anything about their plans, though we continue to pray for both of them.
There is just SO much out there. In-state... out-of-state... international... agency... private... foster care... My head hurts trying to think through it all. YET, the Lord brought me unexpected encouragement just last night. I was serving in the nursery, and we had a little guy who was kind of fussy (and really sleepy!) and eventually was crying to the point where we sent for his mom before church was over. She expressed thanks that we sent for her, and in the course of visiting with her, I discovered that she and her husband had adopted him via private adoption, using an attorney, when he was about 7 months old. We chatted a bit about agencies we had been in contact with, and the LARGE amount of money it costs to adopt infants with some agencies, and I mentioned that we were using Covenant Care Services. She immediately recognized the name and said, "Oh, I LOVE them! When we adopt our next child, we want to use them."
What a wonderful bit of assurance that we are working with good people at a well-reputed agency. We're still exploring more options, trying to branch out, but my short conversation with this mom helped ease the uncertain desperation that I've been combating.
So many people have checked on me lately to find out how it's coming with the adoption, and SO many people have told me that they (and their children) are praying for us. It's so humbling; it makes me cry even now. It is hard to NOT KNOW, to STILL be waiting after all this time, and I would be an emotional MESS if not for my faith in God, who brings the blessing of children. For now, I have children in my life as friends, students, church family, niece & nephews, and I enjoy showing love to my friends and their children by spending with them and babysitting.
Thank you, Lord, for letting me love these precious kids as I wait.
Thank you, Lord, for so many organizations that minister to children & pregnant women.
Thank you, Lord, for my husband.
Thank you, Lord, for helping me wait for YOUR timing and YOUR good work; you are faithful ALWAYS.
May 3, 2011
We are up on the adoption site!
Please pray with us that God will use this website to unite us with the child he has for us. We are thankful for Covenant Care Services and the care and support they give to women and families.
Click here to see us on the Covenant Care site.
By the way, if you know someone who is pregnant and is considering adoption, Covenant Care does "designated adoptions". If someone knows that she wants us specifically to be her baby's parents, she can contact Covenant Care through the website with this form, or call them. The office phone number is Phone: (478) 475-4990, and the Toll Free Crisis Line is 1-800-226-5683 (LOVE)
Click here to see us on the Covenant Care site.
By the way, if you know someone who is pregnant and is considering adoption, Covenant Care does "designated adoptions". If someone knows that she wants us specifically to be her baby's parents, she can contact Covenant Care through the website with this form, or call them. The office phone number is Phone: (478) 475-4990, and the Toll Free Crisis Line is 1-800-226-5683 (LOVE)
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